Undershifter
by Indigo Masquerade97
Summary: First fanfic... When the barrier is destroyed, the last thing the Monsters expected was to be shrunk down and sold off as pets to humans and... something else. And now Frisk can't reset to fix it. The Skelebros must now adjust to being pets to a strange race among the humans. Will they survive with these strange beings? Can they undo these wrongdoings? Alternate universe.
1. Captured

So much for a happy ending.

Sans grumbled, leaning against the mesh wall. Since the barrier had been destroyed, everything seemed to have gone downhill. Everyone had been excited about escaping the Underground, and with Frisk acting as ambassador they surely would have been accepted into the society, even if it took some time. All was well as they left their lifelong prison, enjoying the fresh air.

At least, until _they_ came.

Sans didn't know what they were, but they hadn't been human. Frisk had said something strange about them being from the stars, before they attacked. They were fast, strong, and smart. Then they were herding the crowd like cattle at the cave mouth. Many had tried to fight, but these creatures were not the children they seemed to be. They were outnumbered by the monsters, but when the monsters retaliated with magic, they returned the fight with their own.

It was something no one had seen coming. Creatures as strong as humans, but with magical properties like the monsters. There was no way they could fight them.

But instead of killing them all, they did something _much_ stranger.

They had shot the cowering monsters down with strange weapons. Instead of reducing the creatures to dust, however, it had shrunk them down.

Even now, Sans couldn't understand how they had done it, or what that gun was.

Sans, with Frisk in one arm, Papyrus in the other, had trembled as the creatures began to collect the startled monsters and shoving them in boxes.

'Frisk, now may be a good time to reset!' Sans choked out, dragging the child closer when one of the creatures came nearer.

'I-I'm trying!' Frisk squeaked, face scrunched with concentration, then dread, 'Sans, I… I can't reset!'

The creature had paused when it had seen the child. Smirking, it reached out and pulled the child from the tiny skeleton, tossing the kid in the air a couple of times.

'no! don't you dare!' Sans had screamed at the creature as Frisk squealed.

'Hey Gears! There was a kid in all that!' It yelled out to a figure on what Sans recognized as a motorcycle from Papyrus's books. Red eyes looking on with boredom, he growled.

'And? What about it?' The figure seemed very irritated, leaning against the bike with crossed arms.

'What should we do with it?' The figure shrugged.

'What do I care? Give it to Jetstone,' He growled, looking away, 'Now hurry up and get the last ones!'

Before Sans could rush to help the human he had grown so fond of, he heard Papyrus cry out. Before he could do anything else, he felt uncaring hands grab him and stuff him into a box with strangers. It wasn't long before the boxes were all sent away, and Sans found himself locked in cages with other monsters.

'G'night folks!' Came the cheery voice of the store owner, 'Pleasant dreams.' Its dark eyes seemed to seek out Sans's eye sockets, a cruel grin crossing its lips as it locked up the store. _Like I'd have pleasant dreams!_

Fingering the band of metal around his neck, Sans wished he could voice the torrent of curses in his head. He wished he could summon a Gaster Blaster to shred the mesh of his cage. But, the collars – that is what the creatures had referred to them as – had made speech and magic nearly impossible.

Smirking sadly, he pulled up his hood, hand protectively wrapping around the sleeping form beside him. Through all the mess, at least he was still with his little bro.


	2. Bought pt 1

For weeks it went the same. The monsters would be taken out of the cages in the back rooms in order to be placed in a glass display case. Then customers would enter the store. Sans had seen mainly humans come in to see the strange and exotic creatures that were on sale. Though there were also the occasional appearance of those creatures that had shrunk the monsters.

Through eavesdropping the staff, Sans was able to find out that the humans called the race "Shifters". They were human, in a way, and it was almost impossible to tell the difference. Unless their arms were exposed, then you would see a strange black tattoo that would quiver as they moved. They would always gain a sense of weariness and anxiety from the staff, and were none too gentle with the animals, or monsters, that they bought.

So Sans found himself in a schedule where he'd be transferred to the display case, ignoring the customers, sleeping, eating the barest amount of food, trying to keep an eye on his bro, sleeping, and being returned to the cage. He had made sure to keep his brother and himself from being purchased, though it hadn't been easy. Papyrus's kind nature had gotten the attention of many customers already.

Sans looked up as two new customers entered the shop. One stood tall and proud, while the other was much shorter, only standing at around the taller ones hips. Both were wearing green hooded cloaks that obscured their faces. The smaller one threw back his hood, looking around with a gleeful smile as he fidgeted in place, wanting to explore the shop, but not leave the others side.

'Check it out, Jay!' He squealed loudly, a head sweeping side to side as bright green eyes stared at all the display cases, 'There are so many!'

The one named Jay snickered, hand reaching out to mess up the others short brown hair. In doing so, Sans was able to see a withering tattoo on his arm.

He had seen only two kinds of the tattoos. One was a strange mirage of swirls. Those shifters were quiet and seemed neutral in the affairs around them. The others had tattoos likened to the shards of light that pierced the sky during storms. They were the angry, destructive ones that made the staff nervous. They were the ones who had captured the monsters to sell off as pets.

What he saw on _this_ shifter looked more like a leaf with an arrow poking through it. When the staff, who were two girls, noticed, they froze. _Are they as bad as the bolts?_ Sans wondered to himself. He didn't know what to expect from the two newcomers, and it made him nervous. He didn't see any nervousness from the two human girls, however, but rather a silent excitement.

'Are you sure about this, bro?' The smaller shifter asked, voice now low with uncertainty, 'Are we even _allowed_ to have pets at the house?'

'Comrade, I checked with the headmaster. It's alright,' Jay murmured coolly around a lollypop, pushing the smaller one forward with a reassuring smile, 'Now go on. Pick someone out.' The smaller one grinned, dashing around to look inside the closest displays.

Sans stood from the edge to grab his brother, who was fiddling with a small puzzle that had been left in the case for their entertainment. He pulled his little brother away and dragged him to the other side of the case, the opposite side of where the small shifter was now approaching.

When Papyrus noticed the shifter, he pulled out of Sans's hands. Sans gave him an annoyed look, motioning for him to follow. Papyrus shook his head, his hands moving quickly. Sans was glad that Frisk had taught them sign language.

 _'_ _I'M GOING TO GO SAY HELLO._ ' He insisted.

 _'_ _you can't keep trying to appeal to their mercy!'_ Sans signed back, fingers working profusely, _'they don't care. just stop trying!'_ Papyrus glared at his brother before turning to go greet the excited shifter anyway. Sans hated how Papyrus was determined to greet every customer, even though he couldn't speak. It made protecting him so much harder.

The shifter, Comrade, reached a hand into the case to meet a couple of the more confidant monsters who had moved to greet him. The case had been placed on a table, walls a couple feet high to trap the few inch monsters inside. This allowed the customers to interact with the tiny monsters. Sans grumbled, sitting against the furthest glass wall and watched as Papyrus waved enthusiastically, Comrade smirking at the display. He didn't like the pleased look on the shifters face as he rubbed his brother's head.

 _Why can't you just stay away from them, Paps?_ Sans mentally screamed, his arms wrapping around his legs tightly.

He hated how much the loud shifter reminded him of his brother.

'Hey buddy, you ain't lookin' too good.'

Sans jolted in surprise, looking up at the shifter Jay. He had moved behind him, arms crossed over the box as he leaned against it. _How did I not hear him?_ The shifter pulled the sucker out, head tilting curiously as he looked down at the small skeleton. Sans growled, looking away angrily. This caused the shifter to snort, before he looked back at his brother. Sans shivered slightly, wishing the shifter would move away, but all he did was watch his brother with a content smile.

Sans huffed, focusing on the small group that had gone to meet the shifter. Comrade was making sure to give each monster a pleasant comment, which made each monster smile, if a little bit. He'd even said something to Sans, who pointedly ignored him. Comrade was not put off by it though, and continued cooing at the lot.

At some point the two girls had pulled Jay away, excitedly chatting with him. Comrade was messing with Papyrus, rubbing at his skull affectionately.

'Jay, can we take them all home?!' He boomed excitedly. Jay laughed, shaking his head from the other side of the room.

'I don't think having a dozen monsters around the grounds is what Ash had in mind,' He gushed, 'You can only have one, bro.' This brought an unhappy whine from the smaller shifter. Jay snickered, then continued his conversation with the two girls.

Comrade looked down at the monsters again, thinking hard as he looked over each one, contemplating over who to choose. The look made many of the monsters shiver, though the shifter didn't notice. Then his eyes lit up, a happy smile on his lips. Sans jolted to his feet in a moment as the shifter reached out and picked up Papyrus.

 _No! No, no, no, no!_

'Jay, I got one.' Comrade beamed, rushing to his brother's side.

'Fantastic, young man,' One of the girls barked, 'If you'll follow me, we can get this purchase underway.'

Sans had slammed against the glass wall, opening his mouth to scream, but only managed a quiet whine. The other monsters were giving him consoling looks, but didn't move to his side. Sans felt tears form as Papyrus's panicked face looked back at him.

The whole ordeal didn't go unnoticed. Jay had stopped from following his brother, looking to Sans, Papyrus, then Sans again. He frowned, his head cocking curiously.

 _No. Please. I can't lose him, too! Please, don't take him away._


	3. Bought pt 2

Walking into the pet store, Jason knew that they were going to be getting someone out of that stupid place. Not that it was rundown or anything, just that it was dark. _Definitely not enough lights_ , he thought.

Comrade threw back his hood, excitedly staring around at the animals in the room. He had been giddy since the moment Jason had told him he was going to buy him a pet.

'Check it out, Jay!' He squealed, head swiveling to each display case, 'There are so many!' Jason laughed at this, ruffling his little brothers hair, ducking away to escape it but still smiling. Then he frowned.

'Are you sure about this, bro?' He asked, unusually quiet, 'Are we even allowed to have pets at the house?'

'Comrade, I checked with the headmaster. It's alright,' Jay sighed, sucking on his lollypop as he gently pushed Comrade forward with a smile, 'Now go on. Pick someone out.' Comrade smiled, dashing around to the cases. Jason noticed the two girls were watching the two, giggling among themselves like school girls. It was hard to resist the urge to go flirt with them.

 _You can shut up and go away!_ He scolded the urge. There was a sharp pain, like it was retaliating, then it was gone.

Jason wasn't surprised to see Comrade stop at the small case that held a group of monsters. Jason had seen a couple of them before, but was curious about them. He knew that there was a huge variety, and wanted to see some himself. All he had seen already was a dog and a couple of fish-like creatures.

Comrade was giggling as he interacted with some of the creatures. Some had gone to observe him, others had hidden themselves away.

Except for two. Jason watched as two tiny skeletons interacted on the opposite end of the box, before the taller one went to interact with Comrade. The shorter one, glaring after the other, sat against the wall, arms wrapping around its legs. Jason quietly swung behind the monster, his shoes making no sound on the wooden boards.

Sometimes being a shifter had its perks.

He leaned against the box, looking down at the skeleton. It was staring off at the other skeleton, turning distrustful eyes on his brother when he interacted with the taller skeleton. Its bony fingers were digging into the blue hoodie it wore in what was surely a painful grip.

'Hey buddy, you ain't lookin' too good.'

He hadn't been expecting the small monster to jump like he did. He stared up, eye sockets wide. Jason pulled out his sucker, cocking his head to get a better look at the skeleton's face. Large bags sat under his eye sockets, like he hadn't slept in a long time. His pinprick white orbs were wide in the dark sockets. Then he growled, looking away quickly. Jason couldn't help the amused snort, then sat watching his brother happily play with the small monsters.

Then the girls grabbed him and dragged him away. The brunette began asking excited questions, the blonde asking for selfies, then taking the pictures before he could answer. He tried to answer their questions best he could, but was growing increasingly more uncomfortable.

'Jay, can we take them all home?!' Comrade called out. Jay shook his head, laughing at the eagerness in his brother's voice.

'I don't think having a dozen monsters around the grounds is what Ash had in mind,' He explained, 'You can only have one, bro.' When Comrade groaned sadly, Jason just laughed, receiving a pout from the boy. Before the girls could continue their bombardment of requests, Comrade had plucked up a small monster, skipping over to them.

'Jay, I got one.' Comrade beamed proudly, showing off the red clad skeleton in his cupped hands.

'Fantastic, young man,' One of the girls beamed, 'If you'll follow me, we can get this purchase underway.'

Before Jason could follow his excited brother, he heard a whimpering sound. He looked back at the case, seeing the skeleton in the blue hood was banging against the glass, staring out the skeleton in red. It was visibly shaking as it tried to will itself through the glass. _Well, they definitely seem attached to one another,_ a new voice observed in his head. Jason rolled his eyes, _no shit, Sherlock._

'Will that be all, gents?' The blonde behind the counter asked as Comrade payed for the small monster.

'One question,' Jason asked, still watching the blue skeleton, 'Have either of you noticed a relationship between the two skeletons? I wouldn't want to upset either of them with a separation.'

'Well, the two were brought in at the same time. I wouldn't be surprised about a pre-existing relationship.' The brunette chatted.

'Would you like to make a double purchase?' The blonde inquired, an eyebrow raised.

Jason considered the two monsters. The skeleton that Comrade was now placing in a box had cost a few thousand dollars. The other one would cost just as much. He had only gained his headmasters approval because he would only acquire one pet. If he brought back two, she could possible get very angry. It wasn't good when an Original got mad, least of all _The_ Original.

But then he saw the tears coming from the blue skeleton.

He'd made up his mind.

He strode to the case, which made the tiny skeleton back away in a panic. Carefully, so as not to scare the monster further, he reached down and gently wrapped his fingers around its waist. It struggled fiercely for a moment, then Jason placed him in his cupped hand, holding him close to his chest.

'Don't worry buddy,' He cooed, stroking the skeletons head with his thumb to sooth his shaking, 'We won't leave you behind.'


	4. Names

Once the two shifters had bought the necessary supplies, they had gone to a car and driven off. Neither of them spoke, and the silence was starting to worry Sans as he stared around the small box he shared with his brother, who he still hadn't let go of. Papyrus, after his initial scare, returned the tight embrace eagerly.

'So, Jay,' Comrade began, clearing his throat as he turned to the driver, 'You spent a lot of money today.'

'Yep.'

'Using Ashley's card, I assume?'

'Yep.'

'She's probably going to kill you for that.'

'Probably.'

'And… you don't care.'

'Not at all, my dear Watson!' That made the younger boy laugh.

'You are absolutely nuts.'

'Nah, I just know that she won't mind,' Jay argued, snickering, 'When it comes down to it, she's a big, fuzzy pushover.'

'A big, fuzzy pushover, that has commanded an army for decades and has more kills on her belt that any solders in the whole human military.'

The two shifters lapsed into an awkward silence. The skeleton brothers glanced at each other, unsure of what to make of it. Sans prayed they'd never have to deal with that particular shifter.

The box shifted slightly when the younger shifter glanced down at the holes poked into the lid of the box.

'So, what possessed you to get the other skele?' He questioned.

'I don't know,' The older one mused quietly, 'I suppose we just couldn't separate them.'

 _Did he just say "we"?_

'Well, now that we're talking 'bout these two, what should we call them?'

'Bones.'

'No,' The answer was instant and forceful, 'You're not naming one after a TV show!'

'Oh, no fun,' Jay groaned teasingly, 'How about Skeletor?'

'That's a cartoon villain.'

'Jack Marrow?'

'No.'

'Cal C. Iam.'

'Jay, stop. Those aren't even funny!'

'Ya know, at this rate, I'm just gonna settle for Fluffy one and two.'

 _Like hell you are!_

'Sounds like a name Lenny would come up with.' That made the older one pause.

'Oh god, your right! I'd never let myself stoop to that level of evil!' He said dramatically, then snickered, 'But really, did you think I'd _actually_ call them that? That's cruel. I'd never.'

'I was thinking something like Cardinal.'

'So we're not doing TV shows, but bird names instead.' Jay mused, humming quietly.

'Well, there's Bluebird, I guess…'

'That the best you can come up with,' Jay teased, 'besides, sounds like a girl name.'

The two were silent. Sans looked through one of the holes, where he could see Jay driving the car. There was a thoughtful look there, then the eyes flashed over to the box.

Sans froze.

They were shifting between red, blue, black and white.

'Blue Jay.'

'Cardinal and Blue Jay, huh?' Comrade murmured, smiling fondly, 'I like it.'

Papyrus shook his brother, a concerned look on his face as he tried to see what had spooked him. Sans quickly forced a grin.

 _'s_ _orry, don't worry about it.'_

 _'_ _AT LEAST THEY DIDN'T GIVE US STUPID NAMES,'_ Papyrus signed, then scowled, _'OR SETTLE WITH_ PUNS _!'_

Sans felt a grin form. Papyrus glared at his brother.

 _'_ _NO.'_

 _'w_ _ell, bro…'_

 _'_ _STOP!'_

 _'_ _I found it all pretty–'_

 _'_ _DON'T YOU DARE!'_

 _'p_ _unny!'_

Even if Papyrus couldn't speak, he let out a loud scream at his brother's use of puns.


	5. New Home

Sans grew more and more uneasy as the shifters finally parked their car. Wherever they had stopped had a lot of activity. There were many voices, some soft, but most were loud. There was a huge commotion to the side, where there were screams and battle cries, before a barrage of bangs from weapons. There was a huge _whoosh_ and a cry of victory.

'Looks like the seniors are having fun,' Comrade muttered nervously, his hold on the box tightening, 'Are… are they okay?'

'Dude, it's just paintball. They'll be fine.' Was the response he got from his brother as he collected the items from the back of the car.

As they walked on, Sans was able to see a field through one of the holes. There seemed to be two factions that were attacking each other. Whenever they got hit, they obtained a new splatter of colour to their armour. There were loud _thunks_ as they were hit, which made Sans cringe slightly. Despite that, they were laughing, gleefully throwing themselves into their game of war.

Soon they had left that field behind and entered a more quiet space. Tall buildings stretched into the sky on either side. They seemed unusually large, like they were meant to hold dozens of people. Each was made of wood, with different colours and styles. Each door had a strange symbol embedded into the dor. Jay walked to a white door that had a symbol of a dark creature with five heads. He held up his arm, exposing a chunky watch. The watch beeped against a screen on the door, then it opened.

Comrade was quick to kneel in the middle of the room, carefully placing the box to the floor. He flinched when he had to tip it to the side before removing the lid. The two skeleton brothers didn't move for a long moment, wary of their new surroundings. Seeing this, Comrade shuffled backwards, trying not to loom over the two.

Papyrus was the first to venture away from the small box, curiously looking around the building. Sans was more cautious and preferred to observe from the box. The room actually reminded him of their old home in Snowdin. The room was large, with a grey sofa on the wall under a large window, and a TV that took up almost the entire opposite wall. Beside a doorway into a kitchen was a huge table that had been pushed against the wall to make more room. On the other side of the house was a staircase leading to the second floor. The walls were a creamy white, the soft carpet a dark grey colour.

Jay had closed the front door and plopped the boxes he held onto the table. He stretched, then swung the cloak off of his shoulders, draping it over the table. Sans watched him, trying to size him up quickly. His hair was a dark brown, falling over dark green eyes. As opposed to the bright, styled clothing the humans tended to wear, he wore a simple grey long sleeved shirt and black pants, complete with padded boots. A chunky watch hugged his right wrist, and a chain necklace wrapped around his neck.

What really made Sans freeze, however, were the weapons.

Slung over his shoulder was a quiver with a dozen arrows and the end of a slender bow. Attached to his hips were a few blades, dull but worn from use.

He leaned against the table, looking down at the two skeletons. His eyes were doing that thing again, where they'd switch between different colours. It was starting to make Sans shiver.

Comrade seemed to sense the tension. He cleared his throat, looking over at his brother.

'Maybe we should give them a bit of space?' He inquired, 'I'm sure the last thing they need is for us to hover around the second they got here...'

'Well, lunch seems like a good idea,' Jay nodded, then smiled, 'I heard Ash gave Ian the funds to open up a café in the Community.' Comrades' eyes bulged in excitement.

'Oh god! I LOVE his food!' He yelled, rushing to his feet and dashing out of the building. Jay just smiled, shaking his head as he grabbed his cloak.

'Have fun, you two.' He called, then left the building.

Papyrus sighed, straightening up fully. Sans leaned against the box, slightly drained. Neither of them had realized how heavy a weight the combined attention of the shifters had had on them.

Papyrus was quick to rush into the kitchen to explore. Sans was content with sitting inside the box, passing distrustful eyes over the room. He couldn't help but think of what might happen to the two brothers while with the shifters. They had heard stories of how the bolts would take pride and glee from the way they could torture their pets. These two didn't seem like that, but he didn't want to let his guard down around them. He had had enough of seeing Papyrus suffer.

Papyrus quickly rushed back, stars in his eyes.

 _'_ _SANS! THEIR FOOD MUSEUM_ _IS EMBEDDED INTO THE WALL!'_

 _'_ _cool bro.'_

 _'_ _BUT THEY'RE MESSY,'_ he continued, frowning, _'THEY HAVEN'T DONE THE PILE OF DISHES IN THERE.'_

 _'_ _well, dishes not a joke, huh?'_ Papyrus glared at his brother, then sighed, walking passed him to the couch. Sans snickered, then followed his brother. The two sat down, leaning against the surprisingly soft fabric. Sans was quick to fall asleep beside his brother.


	6. Favour

Sans could hear muffled laughter. He groaned, trying to ignore it so he could continue his nap. That just caused more laughter. He opened a single eye socket, and froze.

Jay was looking down at him, smirking.

'Nice of you to join us, Blue Jay.' He snickered, hand quickly rubbing at Sans's head before he could move away.

Comrade was at the table, slouching in the chair and staring down at something with contempt. Papyrus was sitting close by, watching curiously as he tapped a pen against the wood.

'Whatcha up to?' Jay asked, quickly scooping Sans into a hand and walking to the table. Sans sat still, grabbing onto the shifters thumb to steady himself. He wanted to try and run, maybe even bite the shifter for just grabbing him like that, but the height made his head swim. If he had fallen from that height, he would have been dusted.

'Math,' The boy hissed as Sans was gently deposited next to Papyrus, 'It's stupid.'

'Here, let me hel–' Jason stared down at the numbers on the small sheet, which swam around in a confusing whirlpool of chicken scratch. After a moment of consideration, his eyes turned red and he grabbed the paper, walking into the kitchen. He pulled out a glass bowl, scrunching the paper into it.

'Jay, what are you doing?' Comrade asked pointedly. He was ignored while the older shifter pulled out a match, lit it, and dumped it into the bowl. The paper was engulfed in flame and crumbled to ash.

Jay blinked a few times and the red disappeared. He looked at the bowl, then at Comrade's shocked face. He smirked, shrugging dismissively.

'Well, now it can't hurt you anymore.' He muttered proudly. Comrade sighed heavily.

'Ya know I'm gonna get in trouble for that, right, Jason?' Jason shrugged the accusation off.

'I'll talk to 'em. They'll give ya an extension,' He muttered, walking out of the kitchen and ruffling up his brother's hair before heading to the stairs, 'I got work to do, anyway. I'll see ya later.'

'Well, in that case, I'm gonna go see the guys.'

Jason paused at the stairs, quickly looking back at his brother. Sans could easily recognize that worried look. He had used it many times before. Then Jason smiled, though it looked strained.

'Oh. Okay then,' He said, stepping onto the first step, 'You go have fun with them.' Then he rushed up the stairs. Comrade looked pained for a moment, like he felt guilty, but shook the feeling off. He quickly exited the building, leaving the skeleton brothers alone on the table.

Sans sighed, sitting down and shaking his head.

 _'_ _those two are strange.'_ He signed.

 _'_ _SANS, CAN I ASK YOU A FAVOUR?'_ Sans looked up at his bro, nodding his head.

 _'_ _CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE THEM A CHANCE?'_

Sans froze, quickly looking away from his brother. Papyrus sighed, sitting down beside him.

 _'_ _I KNOW YOU DON'T FEEL SAFE AROUND THESE BEINGS, BUT I HAVE A GOOD FEELING ABOUT THIS,'_ He signed, bumping Sans with his shoulder, _'IN A WAY, THEY REMIND ME OF FRISK.'_

 _'_ _they're nothing like Frisk.'_

 _'_ _WELL, THEY MAY BE MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN FRISK, BUT UNDER ALL THAT, THEY SEEM TO REALLY CARE,'_ Papyrus noted, smiling pleadingly, _'PLEASE, JUST GIVE THEM A CHANCE.'_ Sans sighed, wrapping an arm around his little brother. He nodded his assent.

If he was going to be a _pet_ , then he might as well try to get them to be happy with him.


	7. Not That Different

The days following the purchase were quiet. Almost _too_ quiet after all of Jason's work the week before. He often stayed in his room, trying to research for his new assignment. Otherwise, he'd be in the lounge room, napping on the couch, playing an x-box game or watching the two monsters and their odd antics.

Cardinal seemed to have really taken a liking to Comrade. He'd often be seen following the boy around, and Comrade loved the attention. Jason was glad that the boy had gained such a strong bond in such a short time.

Blue Jay was a different story.

He'd often stay at the walls or corners, where he could watch the whole room. He'd never really stray too far from the taller skeleton, either. Whenever Comrade and the monster interacted on the table, the smaller skeleton would crane back his neck to keep the other in his sights. Every time Jason saw the show of concern he'd smile. It was sweet.

When he had first bought the small skeleton, he had been almost unnerved by how scared and distrustful he'd been. Though really he hadn't been very surprised, the store _had_ been owned by a Bolt. Who knew what he'd done to make the monster so distrustful? As a result, Jason quickly stopped interacting with the monster, though his brother still hadn't gotten the hint yet. He just left the skeleton alone so he'd get used to his new surroundings and warm up to them at his own pace.

So he'd been quite surprised when the skeleton walked over to him. In the past two days he had noticed how the skeleton had been watching him from afar. He would flinch whenever Jason would acknowledge him, but he'd never run off. In a way, it had worried the shifter, but he decided to let it slide.

Now, as he lay down on the couch, Blue Jay approached him. He was slow and cautious; those pinprick white eyes darting from his curious face, to his still hand and back. His permanent grin was small, almost forced. Finally, he stopped just below Jason's head, looking up at him.

Slowly, so not to startle the monster, he rolled to his side. The monster tensed at the movement, but didn't run.

'Well, hello to you, too.' He chirped quietly. Slowly, he held out his hand, giving the monster plenty time to show his discomfort. Again, the monster tensed, but he seemed to step closer to the hand, his gaze never leaving Jason's own. Carefully, he began to stroke the skeletons skull, trying desperately not to injure the tiny creature.

Then he wrapped his arms around his fingers, holding tightly. Jason froze at the contact. The skeleton was shaking, his eye sockets tightly shut. Distantly, Jason wondered how it was possible for bone to be so pliable.

'Hey, hey, calm down.' He cooed, gently scooping the monster into his empty hand, allowing him to continue holding his two captured fingers. His bones were shivering, and a tiny whine was seeping from him. Jason sat up, hugging the monster close as he shushed him, unsure of what else he could do to calm the trembling creature.

After a while, the monster quietened. He was leaning against Jason, balling up some of his shirt in his fists. Jason chuckled.

'There now. Feeling better?' A blue tinge briefly crossed the skeletons cheekbones, as if he were embarrassed. He leaned in closer, hiding his face in the fabric. This just made Jason laugh.

'Oh man, you're adorable, Blue Jay.' He muttered, hugging the monster closer.

Then the front door slammed open.

Jason jumped, looking up at Comrade. His eyes were red and he was sniffling. He gently placed Blue Jay onto the armrest, rushing to his brother's side.

'Dude, what happened?' He demanded, pushing the hood and strands of hair out of his face.

'I-it was… Dean again.' He whimpered, wrapping his arms around Jason as he sobbed into his shirt. Jason ran his hand through Comrade's hair, trying to be comforting. He never had been good at being supportive when someone was emotionally distressed.

'Who cares about that dick? He's nothing.' He muttered. Comrade shook his head.

'You don't understand, he… he c-called me a useless child that nobody wants,' He pulled away, looking up at Jason with teary eyes, 'He said _I'm_ the reason they all got killed.'

Jason froze. Dean had been abusing Comrade for weeks now. He had tried to get the headmaster to do something about him, but he had only been committing minor things like name calling. It wasn't serious enough to get drastic attention. But if he had used _that_ to attack Comrade… His breathing quickened and he wanted to find the man, drag him to a secluded area, and–

'Jason… Your eyes…'

Jason closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, held it, and exhaled. He smiled down at is brother. He could deal with the rogue at a later time. At that moment, he had to make Comrade smile again.

'Sit down and get comfy!' He ordered, already dashing around the floor to get things ready. Comrade did as he was told, watching curiously as his brother rushed around. Blue Jay seemed to sense his distress and hugged his hand, which made Comrade smile a bit. When Cardinal came over, probably to see what the fuss had been about, the boy lifted him so he could sit next to the other skeleton.

Jason dumped a few bowls on the small coffee table in front of the couch. One was a bowl of popcorn, another filled with candy, and the third filled with chocolate. Two bottles of soft drink sat either side. He then unfurled a blanket, covering his brother in it. Comrade looked at the fluffy fabric, to the food, then at his brother as he settled himself beside him.

'Disney movie marathon time?' He asked hopefully. Jason grinned.

'Disney movie marathon time!' He snapped his fingers, and the Disney playlist began to play on the giant screen.

They had gone through almost four movies when Jason looked back at the armrest. The two skeletons were huddled under a corner of the fluffy blanket, the taller one holding the sleeping smaller one in his arms. Jason snickered quietly so as to not wake either of them up. He hadn't realised that he and his brother were mirroring the sleeping skeletons position until then.

 _Now,_ a dark, angry side of him mused, _what are we going to do with Dean, then?_

 _That can wait._ With that, Jason turned off the TV and slept, quite happy that he had been able to cheer up his baby brother.


	8. Medic's Visit

Over the weeks Sans did his best to interact with the two shifters. Comrade was harmless and did what he could to make life for the two monsters better. Maybe he felt bad about leaving the two alone at the house when he'd leave every day. He often returned to the house with toys and games for the two to play with. Papyrus loved the puzzles he'd bring. Jason was also very accommodating. While he was often locked away in his room, whenever he was on the first floor, he'd talk to the two skeletons, no matter what he was doing. He'd also give them sweet treats behind his brothers back. He had a strange fascination with healthy foods, but Jason continued to supply fast food and treats.

But even though he had been nothing but kind, Sans couldn't shake off this bad feeling. Maybe it was how he'd constantly have a weapon on his person. Maybe it was how his eyes would constantly change colours. Either way, whenever the two were alone, he'd be constantly on guard. He did his best not to show it, though, to appease his brother's wish.

One strange thing he'd noticed was their night schedules. It seemed as if neither shifter slept. It wasn't that they had problems sleeping, but that they physically didn't need to. They'd constantly be moving, working, or finding something to occupy their spare time. Comrade would often leave the house and spend a night somewhere else. His brother, though supporting how he'd socialize with others, seemed pained whenever he did this.

And that was another big difference between the brothers. Comrade would always return with a lot of energy, often gaming through the whole night. Jason would disappear for a large amount of time, and when he returned, he'd collapse on the couch, too exhausted to even bother going to his own room to rest. It made Sans wonder what he did outside of the house. But even then, he'd only ever be down for an hour or two, quickly getting back up and working again.

In order to get his mind off of these thoughts, Sans watched as Papyrus was trying to solve an abandoned puzzle game on the computer. Comrade hadn't shut off before going to his room. The mouse was hard to manoeuvre at times, but he enjoyed the challenge anyway.

The door opened and Jason walked in. He'd been gone for a solid eight hours, and it had since gotten dark. Papyrus smiled at him, abandoning the game to greet him. Sans grinned at the shifter.

They both froze when they took in his demeanour. He had shut the door, leaning against it for support. His breathing was erratic, and he was wiping sweat from his brow.

 _'_ _SANS, IS HE OKAY?'_ Papyrus signed, face twisted with worry. Sans shrugged. He didn't know what to make of the display.

Comrade had bounded down the stairs when he heard the door close. He opened his mouth to scold his brother, as he always did when he returned from being out for so long. But he stopped when he took in Jason's strangely pale face.

'Bro, what happened?' He asked. Jason laughed quietly.

'Don't worry, buddy, I was jus-' He had gone to take a step forward, but the leg buckled and he collapsed. He reached out and gripped the side of the couch to catch himself. He took a couple of shuddering breaths, waving Comrade's concern aside.

'Don't worry, my leg just fell asleep… Just need to walk it o-' He gasped as he took a step forward, plopping himself onto the couch, 'Nope. I'm gonna sit down. I think I heard the other one yawn.'

'Jay, please! Something's wrong! You need to tell me what happened!' Comrade cried, looking his brother over as he dragged the cloak from his shoulders.

Sans shivered. The front of his shirt had specks of red scattered across the fabric. The fabric was torn in many places, and much of one sleeve had been ripped away. He was missing a couple of knives, and on his exposed arm was what looked like a blistering patch of flesh.

'Jason… what is _that_?' Jason's brow furrowed as he looked at the patch. He grabbed his torn sleeve and yanked it up, unfocused eyes struggling to make it out. It was almost in the shape of a hand print.

'Huh. So he _did_ get me,' He muttered, words slurred slightly, 'I was wondering why I was getting so dizzy after only a cup.' Comrade frowned.

'Have you been drinking?!' He demanded. Sans stared between the two, shocked. Was alcohol able to do this to shifters? Surely not. Something else must have happened!

'Jus' one, man. I… I…' Jason fell limp on the couch.

'FUCK!'

In all their time with those brothers, never had Sans heard Comrade swear.

Comrade began to shake Jason, yelling at him to stay awake. When he didn't respond, Comrade began pressing at something in his ear.

'Please, I need a medic over at house twelve! Jason just got home and collapsed on the couch!' He yelled at nothing, again glancing at the blistered patch, 'I think he got hit by a Trapist! He's out and- Oh God! It's bubbling!' Sure enough, the flesh was quivering, tiny dark bubbles appearing. The flesh around it had gone pale and the wound itself had become inflamed. Sans gasped in shock. The wound was acidic, and was now slowly eating away at his flesh.

After a few more seconds of panic, the door was slammed open and a figure rushed to Jason's side. It was a girl, barely older that sixteen. Blonde hair was tied up in a messy bun, and she was draped with a too large jacket over shorts and a baggy shirt. It looked as if she had sprung out of bed and grabbed the first thing she could before rushing over. Comrade quickly moved out of her way, leaning against the table and keeping wide, concerned eyes on his brother.

She put down a small bundle and flicked it to the side, opening up a kit of vials and bandages. She quickly examined the wound, never saying a word, before grabbing a couple of vials and mixing them together. She dumped the strange goo onto a small pad and placed it over the wound. Jason flinched, tensing up, then calmed and slumped against the couch again. She sighed, shaking her head.

'He really needs to come in for check-ups after he's finished an assignment.' She ground out, voice chipped but light with compassion. She removed the pad, looking at the now less inflamed area with disdain before grabbing a bandage to secure it.

'What happened, Joanna? Is he alright?' Comrade asked. She smiled at him.

'Don't worry, he's okay now. It was just a small paralysis concoction that would slowly eat away at him. You're lucky you noticed this when you did. It could have done a lot of damage to his nervous system... maybe even killed him, if left unchecked for too long.' Comrade cringed, but smiled in relief.

'So, he'll be fine?'

'He'll need to stay indoors and rest for the next few days. Give him these before every meal,' She instructed, plucking out some herbs and handing them to him, 'If he can avoid any stress, he should be completely fine by the end of the week.'

Comrade looked at the herbs and cringed at the sharp smell.

'Ya know he won't be happy 'bout that.' He said. She just snickered.

'People can say that my medicine is disgusting all they want, but they cannot deny that it works,' She said as she collected her bundle, 'I suggest you leave him where he is for now. He'll be fine there for the night.'She turned to go to the door, but paused.

'Hey, how has your arm been?' Comrade smiled, a hand hovering close to his shoulder.

'It's better,' He informed, smiling slightly, 'You can almost not see the scar now. Your work is very good.' She smiled, nodding a silent thanks, then left.

Comrade took a deep breath, leaning against the table. He ran his hand over his face, looking back at Jason. It was almost as if the scare had never happened. Then Sans heard him quietly sob.

'Jay, why won't you ever tell me what's wrong?' He breathed, arms wrapped tightly around himself.

Sans and Papyrus looked at each other, stricken by what they heard. Papyrus rushed to Comrade, pushing against his side to get his attention. This made Comrade smile, but tears were still threatening to fall.

'Thanks buddy.' He murmured, hugging him carefully with a hand.

'Come on,' He said, carefully scooping up the two skeletons, 'We'd better let him rest.' He placed the two on the ground, and quickly set out to cover Jason. The skeleton brothers watched for a moment, before returning to their small bundle of soft fabric in the corner that acted as their bed.

 _'_ _SANS, I HOPE HE'LL BE OKAY.'_ Papyrus signed, sighing quietly.

 _'_ _me too, bro.'_


	9. Paranoia

The hallways were dark and cramped, the air muggy. Somewhere in the distance was the soft percussion of droplets striking water, and every now and then, there would be a muffled scream. The lone figure gliding through the tunnel gave no notice to the cries, though, and continued passed the doors to get to his destination. Every step sent an echoed thud through the stone hall.

Walking into one of the rooms, he stopped by the door, watching his two superiors. The one in red was making aggressive sweeping motions at the screens in front of him, yelling at his partner. His partner, wearing a blue suit, was silent, but his form was stiff from irritation.

'I'm telling you, they got in! They've been in the system, I **know** it! They've hacked us, taken our records, and _as we speak_ are dismantling the code and will tear down this operation!' "Red", also known as Gears, exclaimed. His burning red eyes fastened onto the newcomer. His partner took a deep breath, turning to the newcomer with less hostility that the other, but couldn't quite mask his frustration.

'Tyrol, I hope you have good news for us.' He muttered, voice very business-like.

'I'm afraid not, sir,' Tyrol answered grimly, 'The telepaths have searched through the system, and they have reason to believe that they have recently been accessed. And a few of our contacts at the Community have reason to suspect that Ashley has recently had a secret meeting before our suspicions were raised.'

'FUCK IT!' Gears screamed, hand gripping at his dark hair, 'She's onto us! That do-gooder has something on us, I know it!

'Calm down, lieutenant. It's not Tyrol's fault,' His partner calmly stated, then his gaze narrowed, 'If you hadn't kept any accessible electronic records like I suggested at the start, we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place.' His voice was soft and even, but his eyes had begun to turn red, showing his displeasure with Gears at the moment. Then again, Jetstone never seemed happy with the other Bolt.

'There was no directly incriminating info in those files. And not a single database was "accessible". The only way for them to get them was if they hacked us,' He growled, eyes nearly completely red, 'I don't like the fuckers, but the Oaks are not lacking in their skills. I don't know _when_ they began to consider these rumours, but _someone_ must have tipped them off!'

'Not necessarily, sir,' Tyrol began, holding his hands behind his back so they wouldn't see them shaking, 'We all know how softsparked they are. Even if _one_ person gave 'em the idea that these things are being mistreated, they'd want to look into it.'

'Ashley isn't an idiot. She knows that if she just openly incriminates us, she risks breaking this unsteady peace.' Jetstone murmured, hand under his chin as he thought.

'Should we go public with news of their infiltration?' Gears asked, arms crossed.

'No. We say nothing. If we jump to incriminate them, it will incriminate **us** , in return. Let the Oaks have their fun. Let them go on their self-righteous hunt. If we truly left no evidence of the monsters' sentience, the worst they can call us out on is breaking regulation, and we'll just fall back into their guidelines until they are off our asses,' He announced, gazing back at the screens, 'We still don't know what it is they were after. As far as I know, there is no reason to suspect the monsters sentience, so it's safe to assume that _they_ wouldn't, either. It is better if they think we are simply maltreating the creatures.'

'But what if they are investigating _sentience_? What if they find more tangible evidence?' Gears demanded, voice cracking slightly, 'If they found out what you're keeping as a **pet**? She'll repeat what she did to our last leader!' Jetstone shuddered at the thought. It was not a memory he enjoyed thinking about.

'That is very true,' Jetstone murmured, thinking again, 'In that case, we should keep track of the higher ups. If possible, we should try to limit their interactions with monsters whenever possible. Have everyone ready to intervene if needed.'

'But we should try to see what info they have gained, as well.' Gears persisted.

'Well, what do you expect us to do, sir?' Tyrol demanded, 'If Ashley caught us, she'd rip us to shreds. If we tried to hack them, Ratap's firewalls would send a shockwave through our own systems! He's done it before, and we couldn't get up and running for a _month_!'

'There is always her bounty hunter.'

The two looked at Jetstone, unsure of what he meant.

'He has been able to find our people with too much ease. The only way he could do this was if he had access to the Original's information and databases,' He mused, 'He would be the best to try. He's powerful and important enough to be able to gain this information, but he would most likely have a less advanced firewall in his server.'

'So, you wish for us to hack into Quintuple's system?' Tyrol asked. Jetstone nodded.

'But then there is the problem with keeping them away from monsters. I know that some of them own one,' Gears muttered, hand rubbing his face, 'How can we keep them from interacting with their own pets?' Jetstone grinned, but to those watching it seemed more like a wolf showing off its teeth to scare off any potential opponents.

'Easy,' He purred, 'it is a lot harder to interact with something that isn't there.'

It took a couple of seconds for the idea to sink in, leaving all three smiling wickedly.

'Gears, get in contact with Xander. He's always been skilled in breaking and entering. I believe he's the perfect man for the job.'


	10. Stolen

_**Authors Note**_

 _ **I'm sorry that this update took so long. This chapter was difficult to word properly, but I hope it will make up for the wait. Enjoy :)**_

...

Jason had gone through the week with no problems. He had sulked for a bit, especially when Comrade made him take his medicine. But, in the end, it was what was best for him.

Sans had found he actually enjoyed having the shifter stay in the house. One of the things he fondly remembered happened half way through the week, when Jason had been bored. He had gone into the kitchen, staring down at the ever accumulating pile of dishes. For a long time he just stared at it. Sans began to watch with mounting anticipation. _What is he up to?_

'Okay!' He said, holding a fist in the air, 'I can DO THIS!' Papyrus and Sans watched as he then pulled out a roll of paper towels, tearing off sheets and staking them over the pile so it was lazily hidden from view. On the last one, he pulled out a pen and wrote down "clean".

'Aaanndd… done. Nailed it!' He yelled, smiling broadly when he rushed back to the couch.

 _'_ _OH MY GOD! SANS, HE'S AS BAD AS_ YOU _ARE!'_ Papyrus had signed, which just made Sans snicker. The best part had been when Comrade had returned home and seen it. He had gone crazy, but refused to clean the pile, as it was still Jason's job. It reminded Sans of the whole sock argument he'd have with Papyrus back home.

Now the blistered wound was all but gone. Jason, eager to escape the stuffy interior, had left earlier that day, though he promised not to be out for too long. Comrade had taken Papyrus and gone out to a nearby park. Sans decided to sleep. He hadn't been able to sleep the night before due to a horrid nightmare.

That was another event Sans would never forget. When he had woken up, Papyrus was still sleeping beside him. He decided to quietly slip from the makeshift bed and walked over to the kitchen. The cold tiles had felt nice on his heated bones. There he lay, just trying to cool down and make sense of his nightmare.

He hadn't expected Jason to stroll in, almost in a daze. He had grabbed a cup of water and slid down to the ground, just staring off at a crack in the ceiling. When Sans moved, he looked down at him, eyes slightly unfocused. It took him a moment to realize what he was looking at, then a sad smile settled on his lips.

'Couldn't sleep?' He inquired, taking a huge swig of water, 'Yeah, I know the feeling, bud.'

He was shuddering. His shirt was damp, and beads of sweat still clung to his forehead. He was taking deep breaths to calm himself, but it just seemed to make him feel worse.

Sans rushed to his side, concerned by the display. He had never seen Jason act like this before.

'I haven't had _that_ dream in a long time,' He mused, free hand absentmindedly rubbing at Sans's skull, 'I had thought I was getting over it, but…' He shut his eyes, a sob escaping his throat.

'I saw all of them. They were all dead around me. Everyone I knew,' He said, looking up in the direction of Comrade's room, his voice cracking, 'Even him…' The cup shattered in his in his fist, but he didn't react to the shards of glass that jabbed into his hand.

'Ya know the worse part? The worst part is not that they were all dead. It was that they all died, and _I_ was still alive,' He said, arms wrapping around his legs, 'Why is it that they all had to die, but I'm still here?'

Sans watched him as he shook for a moment, then wrapped his arms across the shifters leg in an effort to give him a comforting hug. He had known that feeling many times before, in so many different timelines. He had not realized how broken the shifter was, or how much strain he was put through in order to hide it. It made his soul ache. But the show of comfort did seem to calm him down. He smiled, gently scooping the skeleton into his hand and holding him close. He didn't say anything again, but both were comforted by the others presence. Comrade walked into the kitchen in the morning to find Jason asleep with Blue Jay snuggled against his chest.

Sans stirred slowly. He could hear shuffling upstairs. He smirked, sitting up from his bed and yawning. Jason was probably home already.

… Wait a minute.

Jason and Comrade never made that much noise. Every step they took was light, and their strange shoes muffled what little noise they did make to the point of it being non-existent. But these steps made small pockets of dust fall from the ceiling, and the sound echoed through the house ominously.

The figure was now dashing down the stairs. Sans stared at the intruder, and the intruder paused halfway down the steps. He was staring straight at Sans.

The figure was wearing dark pants and boots. A black hooded jacket covered his arm, so Sans couldn't figure out whether he had a shifter mark. He cocked his head to the side curiously.

'So, the bounty hunter has a monster, eh?' Sans hopped to his feet, quickly jumping from the fabric to run. The intruder laughed. There was a _whoosh_ , and he was beside Sans, grabbing him in a fist. _Well, now I know he's a shifter,_ Sans thought as he struggled. He hated how they could move so quickly. It just continued to show how weak he had become. His attempts to push the fingers away were met with more laughter, before the shifter squeezed. Sans gasped, freezing as his ribs creaked dangerously.

'It's quite pathetic how far you monsters have fallen, is it not?' The shifter snickered, before moving to the door.

 _Wait! He's_ taking _me? WHY?_ Sans's struggling doubled. The shifter snorted, then shoved his fist into a pocket, hiding the monster from anyone's view. _Is_ no one _going to stop him?! Does anyone even know what he's doing?_

 _Jason, where are you?_

There was no one around to see the intruder flee from the house, with an extra, unwilling passenger in tow.

...

Jason sighed as he reentered his home. He rushed to his room, not bothered by the mess across his floor and desk. He sat at the desk, ready to get onto his computer.

He stopped when he noticed that the drink he had had by the keyboard was no where on the desk. Frowning, he found it by his foot. He distinctly remembered that he had left it there before he had left that morning. Something, or _someone_ , had moved it.

 _Who the FUCK has been in our room?!_

Jason shook the thought aside, looking around the room to see if there was any other evidence of tampering. While there didn't appear to be anything, Jason was now paranoid enough to do something about it.

'MASS, boot up.' He boomed. There was a beep, before a holographic figure appeared before him. He gave off the form of a person, but the details were lacking and it showed more of a silhouette than an actual person.

'You called, Quintuple?' He asked quietly, hand behind his back. MASS, aka. Mandimal Assistance Security System, was a program created by the original telepath to assist the Community in security problems.

'I need security footage for the house.' He instructed. MASS spread his hands and a few screens appeared, each showing a different viewpoint. One showed a figure fleeing the house just ten minutes before Jason arrived home.

'Any idea what he did?' Jason asked, trying to see the hooded figures face.

'The intruder appears to have tampered with your database. At the moment, I am still unaware of what he was after... however, he _did_ take something.' He announced, voice flat and robotic-like.

'Well, what did he take?' Jason demanded. MASS shook his head.

'You will not be happy, sir.'

'JUST TELL ME!' The hologram paused, then seemed to take a deep breath, though he didn't require one.

'The intruder has stolen your pet, Blue Jay.'

For a long moment, Jason didn't react. He blinked, at a loss of what to think.

 _He didn't..._

 _That STUPID LITTLE WORM!_

 _He will not last much longer._

 _WHEN I GET MY FUCKING HANDS ON THAT PIECE OF SHIT...!_

Jason shook his head, trying to calm and control his wayward thoughts.

'Calm down, calm down...' He breathed, a hand running through his hair, 'First things first, the guards and professors should be notified of the breach and theft.' He barged out of the room, already sending the message to his superiors.

'Could you identify who it was?' Jason asked over his shoulder, but MASS had already reappeared by the couch.

'While I am not positive - he had somehow messed with the system before entering, so my tapes are blurry and have no sound - I believe it may have been Xander Ioian.'

Nodding, Jason rushed out of the house, sending his message to the head mistress and guard captain.

Now he just had to find the son of a bitch who took Blue Jay!


	11. Shot Down

**Authors Note**

 **So sorry it took me so long to update again, folks. And sorry the chapter is shorter than most of my other ones. But, I hope you all enjoy! :)**

 **...**

 _How long has it been? Ten minutes? An hour? What is he_ doing _?_

Sans's panic at being taken had now begun to morph into annoyance. For some time, the shifter had been dashing around almost aimlessly. At one point he had stopped to speak to another, giving a small device to them. Sans didn't know how long ago that had been, and now the shifter was slowing, spinning on the spot. _Is he lost, or something?_

Then they fidgeted. Quickly, they began to step away, the hand still holding Sans trapped now tightening slightly.

'Hey, aren't you Xander Ioian?' The new voice was deep, rough, and sounded annoyed. The shifter froze.

'Sorry sir, you must have me confused for someone else.' He stated pleasantly. He began walking again, but then skidded to a stop.

'Lying isn't gonna get ya anywhere, kid!' A bright, excited voice chirped.

'Xander Ioian, you are under arrest for the breaking and entering of over a dozen homes, and assault of thirty-two humans and eighteen shifters.' The first voice added matter-of-factly.

And he began to run.

This just resulted in a whoop of joy, before the two who had confronted him gave chase.

The shifter was using that speed ability, and Sans inwardly groaned. If it wasn't for the fist he was encased in, he felt like he would have turned to liquid against the side of the pocket. How were the shifters' bodies able to stand those speeds?

 **BANG!**

The body jerked and froze. Electric shocks shot through the body, once passing over Sans. Being a skeleton he only received a mild shock, but the collar was now warm, and was whining slightly. After a couple of seconds of apprehensive silence, the shifter – Xander, they said, right? – fell forward and landed with a heavy thud.

The giant fingers that had kept Sans trapped were now limp, twitching slightly as electricity zapped through his nerves. Sans was quick to push the unresponsive limbs away and crawl out of the pocket. Landing lightly on the cold cement, he never thought fresh air could be so good.

'That was easy,' The deep voice muttered, then growled, ' _Too easy_ , one might think.'

'Oh, you worry too much!' The second voice chirped good-naturedly.

It then dawned on him; if these two were so willing to shoot down someone, was he really better off with them than Xander?

Sans looked up at the two men who had taken down the shifter. The taller one seemed to be in his early twenties, his slender form obscured by a dark trench coat. His spiky black hair had bright orange tips that matched his narrowed eyes. He was blowing smoke out of the barrel of his gun, quickly replacing it to his hip. The second one seemed to be in his late teens, leaning casually against the wall. He wore grey pants, a dirty white shirt, with a red hoody covered with a black leather jacket. He was smiling broadly as his partner scowled at him, crossing his arms.

'And how many times has my paranoia kept you from getting yourself ki–' His retort was cut off when he caught sight of the monster. Sans froze when those orange eyes narrowed on him.

'He has a pet, it seems.' He growled out. The younger one looked over and snorted.

'Yeah? And?' He enquired, then snickered quietly, 'What? Are you afraid Xander taught the monster to be a guard dog or somethin'? Is the big bad kitty-cat scared of a little ol' monster?' His condescending tone was not sitting well with the other one.

'Scream, I will harm you!'

'Oh, put yourself in my shoes, Tiger,' Scream drew out, a hand over his heart in mock hurt, 'How do you think I'm _feline_ right now! You're _clawing_ me up, dude!'

Despite it all, Sans snickered quietly at the puns.

'Oh for fu–' Tiger growled, a hand running through his hair as he sighed, 'Well, what are we going to do with it? It's not like we can incarcerate him with his owner.' It was strange that the shifter wasn't calling him an "it" like many others did, but the small fact made him feel slightly better. Only slightly, though.

'I can always talk to the shelter 'bout it.' Scream muttered.

Sans stepped back as the shifter moved forward to collect him, and a movement caught his attention. Xander was shaking uncontrollably, but with some effort he had pushed himself up slightly. Blood red eyes landed on him, and a low growl escaped from deep in his throat. With a quick movement, he had thrown up his fist, slamming it down to smash the tiny skeleton to pieces. Sans barely had enough time to close his eye sockets and cross his arms over his head, unable to move fast enough to escape.

 _If only I could still teleport!_

 ** _..._**

 ** _For those who are wondering where the others monsters and Frisk are, I may or may not be including one of them in the chapters to come... Can anyone guess who will be shown first? Till next time, guys :)_**


	12. The Original

Any moment that fist would smash into his bones. With only a single hit point, he would be dusted. His soul would shatter, as would most of his bones, he suspected. He only prayed that it would be quick.

...But nothing happened.

Taking deep breaths, he opened his eye sockets. Three feet in front of him was that fist, the cement under it shattered from the force. Each of the shifters were staring at him with varying degrees of shock. _How... how did I get over here?_

'Did that monster just…?' Tiger breathed. His voice seemed to snap Xander out of his shock. Despite the pain, he jumped to his feet, attempting to attack again. Sans jumped back in fright, but before the enraged shifter could lay a hand on him, he froze. A greyish glow emitted from his skin. Sans looked over at Scream. His hand was held out, and a flame the same colour trailed from his right eye. Taking a deep breath, he threw his hand to the side, and Xander slammed against the wall.

'Tigor! Cuff 'em! I can't hold him forever!' He hissed, a single drop of bright red blood trailing from his nose. Tigor was quick to snap out of his shock, pulling out cuffs as he yanked the shifters arms back. In a quick motion the shifter was contained.

Scream let out a breath, the flame leaving his eye as he leaned against the wall. Absentmindedly, he wiped the blood away, though it smudged slightly against his cheek.

'I was unaware that monsters could teleport.' Tigor muttered, his grip on Xander's arm never faltering as he fiercely struggled. Scream just shrugged, suddenly seeming very tired.

'From the reports we got, they shouldn't be able to do anything like that.' He muttered, eyes looking over at Sans with an almost child-like curiosity.

'Well, now what?' Tigor asked, 'I doubt the shelter would know what to do about this.' Scream cocked his head, thinking for a moment.

'Can always talk to Ash 'bout it.' He murmured, stepping forward.

Sans gasped, trying to move away from the approaching shifter. What was happening? _I… I teleported?_ But he hadn't been able to do that since…

That shock had damaged the collar! It must have.

Scream knelt down in front of him, his movements slow as a hand reached for him. Sans flinched, which made the shifter grimace.

'Don't worry bud. I won't hurt ya.' He cooed.

'It's… not like… the… stupid thing… can… understand you… Darkscream!' Xander spat though pants. Scream's eyes shot to him, that flame appearing for just a moment as he glared. Xander suddenly jerked, his head smashing against the wall. Tigor rolled his eyes, now grabbing the unconscious shifter and throwing him over his shoulder.

Darkscream carefully wrapped a couple of fingers around the startled skeleton. He was surprisingly gentle, lifting the skeleton and placing him onto his free palm.

'There we go,' He chirped, standing up, 'That wasn't so bad, now was it?'

'Scream, I'm going to go the brig and hand this lowlife over to the guards,' Tigor muttered, backing out of the alley, 'See what you can do for the skeleton.'

Sans didn't really pay attention as Darkscream began walking. Instead, he fingered the collar hugging his neck. He had been able to teleport, if only a small distance. Looking down at his hand, he concentrated. A single blue bone hovered on his palm. He attempted to speak, but no sound came out. _Still can't talk, then…_

Darkscream then gently placed Sans onto a small table, effectively jarring him from his thoughts. Sans looked around at the small office they had entered. The walls were white, and a small open door led off into what appeared to be a medical room. Scream was slowly creeping behind a girl at the desk in the middle of the room. Suddenly he pounced forward, grabbing the startled girl and wrapping an arm around her neck.

'Gimme the goods! Or else, your chemistry!' Instead of being afraid of the threat, the girls eyebrows furrowed with confusion.

'Dude, don't ya mean "history"?'

'Don't change the subject!' They were silent for a moment, then both burst into laughter. Even Sans snickered quietly.

'Gonna let me go?' She asked, turning her neck to look at him. He smirked.

'I have laid down my demands!' He declared. She snorted, but lent closer to kiss his cheek. He laughed, releasing her.

'Ya feelin' better, Ash?' Scream asked. She rolled her eyes.

 _Wait… is_ this _the infamous Ashley?_ She was nothing like what Sans imagined. He had pictured her to be much older, and much more intimidating. Instead, she gave off an almost calming aura, and seemed much too innocent and child-like to be such a relentless warrior.

'Been better, but thanks.' She murmured, looking back down at the notes she had been looking over.

She looked irritated, despite her smile. Her blue eyes narrowed at the notes, long strands of brunette hair falling over her left eye. She pulled off her black jacket, now only in a camo tank top and black jeans.

'Well, wanna talk 'bout it?' She sighed heavily.

'House thirteen got broken into a while ago. No one has been able to catch the perp yet,' She announced, 'They got into the system, too. Not knowing what they were after is gonna drive me crazy.'

'Well, I'm sure Ratap will be able to find out.' Scream assured. She sighed, standing and rushing out to the medical room. After a moment's hesitation, Scream collected Sans and followed her.

'Ya still looking over those guys that team Plebeian brought in?' He asked, thumb rubbing Sans's head lightly. Sans groaned, batting the finger away. This just amused the shifter and he continued his prodding.

'Most of 'em have been helped and sent off to the Shelter. There's just one that's worrying us,' She explained, pausing at a table where a familiar looking girl stood, gentle hands probing a small, still figure, 'How's she doing, hun?'

Joanna looked over at Ashley, a pained look on her face. She sighed, sitting back in her chair.

'Her injuries are… more severe than I anticipated. The monster anatomy is still very new to me, and is much more complicated, what with magic and dust being a factor, and then the different kinds of monsters… I–' Joanna took a deep breath, her eyes watering slightly, 'Ashley, I… I don't think I can help her.'

Sans craned his neck to see what they were talking about. The whites in his eyes darkened at what he saw.

 _Tori…_

Toriel was placed on some soft fabric, and she looked absolutely horrible. Her bangs were knotted and covered in dirt. Patches of fur had been burnt off, and long, ugly scars littered her body. A fine layer of dust coated what was left of her torn robe. She looked about ready to turn to dust herself.

'Why would someone do this?' Darkscream asked, voice low with some strong emotion Sans couldn't discern.

'Apparently some bolt's were _"having fun"_ with some young monsters, and she tried to protect them,' Ashley ground out, shaking her head, 'They made sure she knew never to try that again, but they went too far.'

She was going to die…

Sans concentrated and blipped over to Toriel's side. The two female shifters jumped at the unexpected appearance, but made no move to intervene when they saw the tears running from his sockets. Sans reached out, hesitated. What could he do? He used his eye to see just how bad she was.

 _ **Toriel**_

 _ **ATK: 80**_

 _ **DEF: 80**_

 _ **HP: 0.2/80**_

No wonder she looked so broken…

Sans held his hands just over her soul. He took deep breaths, trying hard to summon green magic. Papyrus had always been better at it than he was, but he had to do **something**. _Please, let the collar be broken enough that this will work!_

A faint glow shone from his fingers, slowly encasing Toriel's fragile soul. He watched as her HP slowly began to rise, if only a little bit. Now her HP was at eight. Not great, but it was enough to get her soul out of danger, and she even began to stir.

'Ashley… She's stabilized,' Joanna breathed, eyes on a small monitor, before gazing at Sans in awe, 'How were you able to do _that_ , Blue Jay?'

'You… you know this monster?' Ashley inquired.

'Well, yeah… He's Jason's monster.' Joanna muttered.

'Then… Darkscream, you got him off of Xander Ioian, am I right?'

'Yeah? Tigor was heading off to the brig when I came here,' He explained, shrugging, 'How come?' Ashley looked down at the two monsters thoughtfully. Sans fidgeted. Those eyes were calculating, hard, and dangerous, completely unlike to the rest of her kind demeanor.

'I suppose I better tell Jason that his monster has been located, then.'

 **...**

 **Hey guys, quick question. What kind of relationship do you want between Sans and Jason. Do you just want them to be friends, or do you want something more yaoi-like? I'd love to know what you all think. Choose wisely... Depending on your choice, the shifters are going to act a certain way...**


	13. He Did WHAT?

After sending the memo to Jason, Ashley sat down to watch the two monsters interact. Seeing that the goat monster was in no immediate danger of off-lining, Joanna had left for another appointment. The goat monster's movements were slow and pained, but she still eagerly interacted, paws and arms moving quickly. _Just what are they doing?_ They were so small, barely standing taller than four inches, and the skeleton was almost half the size.

Blue Jay kept occasionally looking her way. That smile was wide, but those eyes were narrowed, tired. The creature was wary of her.

In a way she wasn't surprised, but still, it upset her.

 **'** **Ash, you okay?'** Ashley took a deep breath, looking over at Darkscream. He hadn't spoken, but instead used their internal comm. link so not to disturb the monsters.

 **'** **I'm okay… Just trying to figure out what to do with the goat monster.'**

 **'** **Send her to the Shelter…?'**

 **'** **Well–'**

She became aware of rapid footsteps approaching. Smirking, she looked over to the door. The noise got the two monsters' attention, and they now watched the opening with a sense of dreaded anticipation. Or, at least, the goat monster was. She hid behind Blue Jay, who almost looked… hopeful?

Jason skidded to a stop, a hand braced against the door frame. His eyes surveyed the room in an instant and locked on the skeleton.

'Oh, thank the Twins!' He exclaimed, rushing forward and scooping up the monster to hold close, 'I was _so_ worried! Thank Hydra you're okay!'

'Dude, calm your spark,' Darkscream snickered, shaking his head, 'Your lil' bag o' bones is _fine_.'

'Don't tell me to calm down, Professor,' Jason snapped, glaring at the still smiling man, 'I was borderline grieving and homicidal two minutes ago. I am _not_ in a good mental state at the present moment.'

'Good thing we have the original here to hold ya down if ya snap, then, huh?' Scream shot back, childishly sticking out his tongue.

'So, Jason, where did this monster come from?' Ashley pried, then narrowed her eyes playfully, 'Is this the reason I lost almost ten _thousand_ bucks the other week?'

Jason cleared his throat nervously, carefully placing Blue Jay back beside the other monster.

'Maaaaaayyybe…' He drew out, fidgeting hands held behind his back.

'Care to enlighten me? I gave clearance for _one_ … not _two_.'

'Well, Comrade wanted the other skeleton really badly, but the two had a very close relationship,' He explained, shrugging, 'I don't know… I guess… I didn't have the spark to separate them, especially since the place was owned by a Bolt.'

'Softspark.' Darkscream teased, a huge grin on his face.

Soft grunting drew their attention to the two monsters. They were sitting side by side, the skeleton protectively holding the goat monster close. They were watching the shifters intently, though Ashley couldn't figure out why. Where they worried the shifters would try to harm them, perhaps? But their expressions almost seemed… amused?

'So, the store was owned by a _Verten_ , huh?'

'Darkscream, enough. Those titles do not work anymore, now that the war is over.' Ashley quickly chastised.

'Oh, forgive me, I'm _truly_ sorry. _Ex_ -Verten's, I mean.' Darkscream spat sarcastically. _Oh, how many times have we had this argument?_

'Scream,' Ashley sighed, then looked over to Jason, who was smiling at their arguing, 'But, be honest… How was the place?'

Jason didn't answer right away. He thought it over, pulling at the chain necklace around his neck.

'Well, for a Bolt, it seemed alright. It was a bit too dark and gloomy for me, but overall, it seemed like a nice place. The staff were kind, the animals didn't seem too stressed out,' He explained, then glanced at the monsters, 'It, was a bit small though. And I wouldn't be surprised if they had to be shoved into tiny cages in the storeroom.' He gently rubbed at the skeletons head. Darkscream slumped in his chair, his playful grin now gone. Ashley frowned at him, trying to ignore the sudden pang of sadness and phantom lingering's of helplessness she felt him emitting. Neither of them liked the idea of being locked in a cage.

'So, I _goat_ to know, where did you find the goat monster?'

Ashley sighed in relief, thankful that Jason had moved on so quickly. Darkscream visibly brightened up, snickering a bit.

' _Goat_ of you to finally ask.' He ground out. Jason snickered.

'Oh man, here we _goat_ again.'

'Ya have to be _kidding_ me; ya wanna challenge me, brah?'

'Ya serious? I got a _skele_ -ton of em, mate! I can take you on!'

'I see nothing gets _under your skin_!'

'Boys–'

'Calm the fuck down, Ash!' Scream cried, hand playfully held up to silence her, 'I _goat_ this!'

'Oohh! Shit just _goat_ reeeaaaaal!' Jason cried hysterically.

'Totes mah _goats_ , mate!'

'These puns have _goat_ out of hand.'

'You backing out? What, you don't have the _guts_ for it?'

'Guys, will yo-'

'Scream, your jokes aren't even that _humerus_.'

' _Tibia_ honest, I think my puns are _very_ humerus. That brings the question… Why didn't the skeleton cross the road?'

'Because he didn't have the _guts_ for it!'

'Oh, for _goat's sake_ , KNOCK IT OFF, YOU BONEHEADS!' Her hand slapped over her mouth in mock shock when the boys were silenced, eyes wide as she stared at the two, 'Oh Twins help us, your puns are contagious.' This got the three to burst into laughter for quite a while.

Had any of them been looking, they would have noticed how the two monsters were laughing quietly, thoroughly amused by the weird antics from the three strange beings before them.

'But, all puns aside, she came in with the batch the Plebian's rescued from across town.' Ashley breathed, slightly out of breath from all her laughing.

'I heard they were really banged up.' Jason commented, looking over at the seemingly unharmed creature.

'Yeah, this one more than the others,' Scream affirmed, smiling fondly at Blue Jay, 'If it wasn't for your lil' skele, she'd probably be dead.' Jason raised an eyebrow.

'Apparently, your monster is unique.' Ashley murmured.

'How so?'

'He can magically heal wounds.'

Jason's eyes widened before darting between Blue Jay and his two superiors.

'He… can heal? Like… the abilities for our ranks?' Ashley smiled, shrugging.

'Dunno. We have no information about it, and it is the only case that I am aware of,' She said, then her expression darkened slightly, 'Either it is a freak accident that your monster is able capable, or the Bolt's haven't done enough research on their biology before selling them off.' _Or they intentionally kept the information secret…_

'He was also teleporting earlier,' Darkscream added, laughing to himself, 'Ya shoulda seen Xander's face when his fist smashed into the cement and the skele was three feet aw–'

'Wait… He did… _WHAT?_ '

Darkscream froze when he realized what he had just said. Ashley watched Jason's eyes as they flashed between green and red.

 **'Scream, stay calm. He's good.'**

'Darkscream,' Jason cooed sickeningly sweetly as he leaned close, 'May I inquire where this young man has been placed?'

'No!'

Jason pouted, leaning against the table the two monsters were sitting on. They had stiffened at the drastic change of demeanor, eyes darting between them frantically.

'Oh, why not?'

'Because you'll kill him.'

'No I won't.'

'Yes, you will.'

'Ashley, the guy broke into my home, hacked into a secure, _forbidden_ database, and ran off with my monster. Someone needs to go interrogate him.'

'And I plan to.'

'We both know that you're busy with more important matters. Ratap is _also_ busy, probably trying to figure out what Xander stole and where the hacking of our security systems originated from, _and_ trying to repair what damage they caused,' Jason reasoned, arms crossed stubbornly, 'We need to find out _why_ he did all of this, _before_ he finds a way to escape. **Again**.'

Ashley glared at the boy. She hated how he was right. She had to hurry and get to a meeting with the human government soon, but if the bolt was left alone for too long, even if he had guards, he would find a way to escape. He was good at that.

 _But Quintuple is good at getting what he wants._

'He's at the brig, cell number twelve. Whatever you do, _don't_ kill him,' She huffed, crossing her arms in annoyance, 'And don't let the boys get carried away, either. Understood?' Jason smiled wickedly.

'Understood.'

He practically vaulted off the table, sauntering to the door with a dismissive wave over his shoulder.

'I'll get Comrade to come pick up Blue Jay. Don' wait up.' With that, he disappeared around the corner.

Darkscream took a deep breath, laughing slightly.

'He reacted better than I expected,' He muttered, a hand running through his hair, 'I honestly expected Sam to go a little nuts there.'

'Hopefully Jason can keep him on a leash… Now,' She muttered, looking down at the goat monster, who was still held protectively by the skeleton, 'what are we going to do with _you_ , little one?' The monster began to fidget, but sat straight, hands folded in her lap. Must have felt more confidant with another monster by her side.

'You want to keep her… don't ya?' Ashley smiled at her Bound, nodding her head. He smiled back, wrapping an arm around her neck.

'Any ideas for a name?'

Ashley looked down at the little monster for a moment, contemplating.

'Miracle.'

 **...**

 **Hey, I've been asked a number of times now, and would like to quickly explain... PureHope125 asks: "W** **hy can't they talk? If they could talk they would make more** **money."**

 **Well, yes and no. If the bolts were only dealing with humans, they would not have really cared about this little fact. However, the oaks are involved, and if they discovered that the bolts were selling off a sentient species as pets, they would shut them down in an instant. It may also re-start a war, which neither side truly wants to start. So, they need to keep it all secret.**

 **BTW, you have all spoken... Jason and Sans will just be friends. Till next time.**


	14. Interrogation

**Hey guys. Finally, I've been able to post this chapter. I have been looking forward to it for quite some time.**

 **Note: This chapter may or may not have torture scenes. It isn't anything too graphic and gory, but still there.**

 **Plus, I'm really sorry it took me so long to update (I mean, wow, almost two months? That's embarrassing.). My laptop f#$ ed up, and I only recently was able to get things fixed up. Hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

 _Idiot. Idiot. Fucking IDIOT!_

Of all the Oaks that could have found him, it just _had_ to be Darkscream and Tigor. And he had run away. _Really? Why did I even bother?_ There was no way he would have gotten away from the two. Tigor was believed to have speeds rivalling the speed of light – a myth Xander personally didn't believe, but still, the man was the fastest shifter in known history – and Darkscream could have taken to the sky to keep track of his movements. Escape had only been the wishful thinking of a panicked criminal who _knew_ he was caught.

And to make matters worse... That stupid skeleton.

Xander could only pray that the Verten Telepath's and Techno's had enough foresight to put extra work on the protection of the vocal dampeners. The reveal of magic was a minor issue that could be brushed off. But if the monster could once again speak, could recount what had happened... they would all be dead within hours.

Xander paced his cell, fists shaking at his sides. _I'm so dead_ , he repeated, over and over like a skipping record. The waiting was the worst part. Was making him sit in this cage, with nothing but his thoughts, a conscious move on the Oaks part to unnerve him? _If so, it is definitely working. How much longer are they going to make me wait?_

Voices. Xander stopped by the bars, straining to hear down the hall. But all he could hear was the muffled murmuring of monitoring guards. Then a door slammed open as an unfamiliar guard strolled down the corridor. _Please, don't get me! I'm not ready yet!_

Of course, he stopped by Xander's cell.

Xander didn't recognise the man, but the scowl on his face indicated he knew the Bolt before him. He yanked the door open, gruffly seizing the smaller shifter by the arm.

'You got a visitor.' With that, he was dragged down the mostly empty cell block to be thrown into a small room.

Glancing around, the room resembled an interrogation room from a stereotypical cop show. A gleaming mirror took up most the wall on his left. In the corner was a small camera, a soft red light showing it was activated. The walls were a dirty white, and there were no windows. A single light gleamed down on the table and chairs in the middle.

And sitting there, arms crossed and leaning against the back to legs of the chair, was Jason.

In a way, Xander was thankful. If it wasn't one of the Original's, then they probably didn't know anything yet. The Original's were notorious for their skills in interrogation. The first hand accounts by those who had escaped capture had been terrifying. But a lowly bounty hunter... what can _he_ do?

Feeling more confident about the situation, Xander smirked.

'Heya.' Jason looked over, his hood obscuring his face. Xander could only see the hard line that was his lips from this position. He didn't say anything.

Okay, for a lowly bounty hunter, he had ways to seem much more intimidating than he really was. _Don't let him see your nervousness_ , he told himself.

'Care to sit down, mate?' Xander tried not to be put off by the pleasant words as he took the remaining seat. He now faced the mirror, and the camera was trained on him.

'So, what can I do for you?'

'You hacked the Originals' database.'

Xander took a deep breath, shaking his head. _So, he's here to interrogate me._

'And why would I do something as _stupid_ as that?' Jason shrugged.

'Dunno... I was hoping you'd cooperate and tell me why.' Xander scoffed.

'How thick are you? Even if I _did_ do what you're accusing me of, why would I tell you anything?'

Jason took a deep breath, hand reaching up to massage his temples. He briefly looked over his shoulder to the camera.

'Look mate, I'm tryin' to be professional here. Not only do we have video surveillance showing you breaking into my home to steal confidential  
information, but you also took my pet, ' He ground out, eyes like daggers, 'And then you attempted to... Mate, be aware that you are not in my good  
books right now. So, make this easier for yourself and tell me what I want to know.' Xander rolled his eyes, crossing his arms defiantly.

'And if I don't, bounty hunter?'

For a moment, Jason was silent. He just stared at the uncooperative Bolt across from him. Then he began to laugh, slowly shifting to his feet.

'Ya know what? I was _hoping_ you would be difficult.'

… When did the camera switch off?

Jason held up his hand, his eye blazing a bright grey colour. His face hidden in shadows, with only a single eye lit up like a smoking flame, was a terrifying sight. Xander was then slammed against the table, his skull cracking loudly.

'I-is that all you got?' Jason laughed at his outburst, leaning close.

'You are not worried in the slightest, are you?'

'You're just a Pilot! There isn't much you can do to me other than throw me around!'

'"Just a Pilot", huh? That so?' Jason purred, throwing Xander against the wall, staring at the Oak before him, 'Now, just how much are ya willin' to bet  
on that?'

He held up his other hand, and it... It began sparking a bluish electric spark. Xander froze, practically feeling the colour in his face wash away.

'D-dark enjion...'

'Oh, so you recognise this, huh?' Jason laughed.

'B-b-but that's impossible! The only ranks that are capable of wielding enjion are the Succubus and... a-and...' Jason cocked his head, waiting gleefully for Xander to continue, 'Y-you're... a-an Assassin... aren't you?' Jason smiled wickedly, snickering to himself.

'And now you realise just how screwed you really are,' He drew out, his hand hovering over Xander's neck, 'Care to talk now?'

Xander had heard stories of victims of enjion radiation. They had mostly been burnt out from the inside, or had survived only to go completely mad. It was a rare few who got away with no side effects. If the radiation didn't shut down their sparks, then it would twist their minds into unrecognisable imitations of themselves that could only be cured by death. Xander never wished to be exposed to the source. But, as much as he wanted to talk... he couldn't.

Jason raised an eyebrow when all he received was silence, cocking his head curiously.

'You _still_ won't talk?' He enquired, then shrugged, 'Oh well. As you wish.'

His fingertips gently brushed against his neck.

Burning! The sparks lashed out with a vengeance, injecting themselves into his system. Nerves spasmed. Blood boiled. His spark faltered. His mind blanked. What was the annoying sound? It took him a moment to realise it was his own screaming. Pain. There was nothing but pain.

Jason removed his hand, smiling pleasantly. Like he didn't just put Xander through the closest simulation to receiving the Silver Tonic.

'That fun?' He asked in an overly joyous tone. Xander didn't answer. He was too focused on breathing evenly and focusing his blurred vision. His throat was dry, stinging from his screaming fit, though it was mild compared to the sparks themselves. _Is that how enjion is_ supposed _to feel?_ Xander thought with distress. It was no wonder the master ranks were so feared.

'So, are ya gonna talk now, or,' Jason began, his sparking hand held up as a silent reminder of what was to come, 'are we gonna continue this little game?'

'NO! No, no, no, please! Not again!' Xander pleaded desperately, struggling weakly in the Assassin's hold. Did _Darkscream_ even have this much control?  
Then again, with so much excess power running through his system, it would be much easier to hold an organic-based shifter. Especially after that shocking pain had brought down any defensive mental walls he may have originally placed.

Jason leaned in close. Xander flinched away, staring into the emerald eyes that briefly flashed to black. _Oh Hydron have mercy on my spark..._ He just _had_ to piss off a master rank who was bordering on the edge of insanity.

'If you want it to stop, you just need to tell me what I want to know,' He purred before growling as his eyes turned red, 'Who sent you? What did you take? WHY are you doing this? WHY DID YOU TRY TO KILL MY BLUE JAY?!'

 _He's going to kill me! He really is!_

'P-please! I... I-I _can't_! I **literally** can't!'

Jason glared angrily, almost insanely, before he sighed. He snorted, shaking his head.

'You swore in Hydron's name, didn't you?'

'Y-yes! Yes, precisely! There is nothing I can do about it, 'Xander breathed, only slightly ashamed to notice he was crying in relief, 'Please. I have nothing for you. L-let me go.'

Jason was silent as he contemplated this request. Then his eyes softened to blue.

'Sorry mate.' He reached forward, his flame changing to green.

'W-wait! NO! Don't you know what could happen to me?!' Jason shrugged, hands not quite touching his cheeks yet.

'I _am_ sorry about this,' He murmured, not meeting his eyes, 'But... I still have a job to do.'

In an instant, the world went black. Images flashed through his mind. Xander stiffened, trying desperately to block out the invading force. But it was no  
use. His mind was being searched and viewed like a computer screen by an expert hacker. Memories were sifted through as the Assassin searched for the information he sought.

But he had drastically underestimated the precautions the Verten leader put out.

 **The operation must not be compromised!**

A sharp pain in the back of his head was all he felt before there was nothing.

Jason frowned as the information before his eyes turned to static. _Did he somehow shut me out?_ Jason looked down at Xander and promptly froze.  
Glassy eyes stared out at nothing as he slumped against his hold.

 _Jay... is he...?_

'Fuckin' DAMNIT!'

Jason stopped holding the boy against the wall, swiftly catching him before he collapsed to the ground. He gently placed him on the table, feeling for a  
pulse. There was nothing.

 **'I need a Medic in here, RIGHT NOW!'**

A few panicked moments later and Joanna rushed into the room. She gasped at what she saw.

'What did you _do_?' She demanded. Pushing him away to get to Xander.

'I didn't _do_ anything! It was just a standard interrogation procedure!' She paused in her work.

'You used the Telepath ability?'

'...Yeah?'

Her eye glowed pink as she began to examine the boys head. Jason fidgeted behind her, eyes shifting between her and Xander nervously.

 _Ashley is going to be so cranky with us!_

 _SHUT UP, TWERP! Chief, this is_ not _our fault!_

 _She doesn't need to know... If we get rid of the body and the witness–_

 _Captain, even if you listen to the madman, there is no situation in which the Commander will not discover your treacherous act._

 _Guys, calm down!_ Jason thought, a hand reaching to his pounding head, _we don't know that he's dead yet._

 _Bullshit!_

 _My friend, we all have enough experience to recognize a corpse. Don't try to fool yourself._

'Okay, I got some good news, and some bad news,' Joanna muttered, unaware of the thoughts that had just run through Jason's mind, 'Good news: you are not the one who killed him. The bad news...'

She held out her hand, in which she held a tiny chip. A small chunk of bloody flesh clung to one side, while the other side seemed to have been scorched.

'A Suicide Chip? What could he have been doing to warrant one of those?' Jason cried, staring at the thing with disdain. Joanna shrugged, placing the dreadful device into a small bag.

'I don't know. I had thought, when the peace was made, that I wouldn't see these things anymore.' She muttered, her eyes misty with tears. Being a Medic of her standards, she couldn't stand the death of her patients. Especially when they were killed by their superiors.

Jason took a deep breath, turning towards the door.

'I... I will go inform Ashley of the situation.' He lamented, thoroughly dreading the encounter he was about to receive.

'It wasn't your fault.'

Jason froze. _How many times have I heard that?_ Taking a deep breath, he wiped any negative emotions from his expression as he turned to face her.

'What do ya mean?' He inquired. Joanna shot him a sympathetic look.

'I know you don't like it when people die for no good reason,' He began carefully, 'There was no way you could have known he'd have a Chip. I just don't want you to blame yourself.'

Jason grimaced, looking away from her. Even though she didn't say it, he could practically hear her screaming _'don't blame yourself again'_. He sighed, scrambling to the door.

'How I wish I could.'


	15. Shifter 101

Since the incident, the shifters had become overprotective. WAY overprotective. Comrade would take Papyrus out on his activities so to keep a better eye on him. Jason didn't leave the house and spent his time working on his computer. From what Sans had seen, he was putting up firewalls to protect it from future hacking. When he wasn't working on the computer, he was spending time with the skeleton. Treats were in abundance, and he wanted for nothing.

 _Is he trying to make it up to me?_

It was strange to think a shifter would feel so guilty over something that was not his fault. What was he trying to prove?

Jason paused in his work on the couch. Sans watched from his cushion by the TV as he held a hand up to his ear, like he had seen the brothers do many times before.

'What's up Ash?' He greeted cheerfully. He listened for a moment, then snorted.

'It seems like the humans are doing a _lot_ of talking and not enough _doing_ lately,' He spat, rolling his eyes, 'But wait, if you have to go to another meeting, what about those new recruits?'

The answer he got didn't seem to sit well with him.

' **WHAT**?! What the _fuck_ you mean _"everyone is out"_? Hey, hey, _I_ can't be the one to do it! I might–' Jason was shaking, eyes wide. Ashley was having none of that. Jason whimpered, a hand running over his eyes. Then he spotted Sans.

'B-but I have to watch out for Blue Jay! I have no one I can leave him with,' He began, then gasped at what was suggested, 'What? I-I-I can't bring him along! I don't know what this lot is like, how they'll react to a monster, or... or... Ash, what if they're like–'

He paused, listening to Ashley give him some consoling words. Then he sighed, shaking his head.

'Okay, okay. I suppose its not likely they'll _all_ be potential Bolts... Yes, we'll be over there in a few.' He muttered, cutting off the link.

Now _what is going on?_

Jason turned off the computer, slowly getting to his feet and stretching.

'Welp, we got a job to do.' He muttered, bending down to scoop Sans up.

With a mischievous smirk, Sans blipped to the table, hoping to entice a grin. He just received another sigh.

'Come on Blue, not the time to be mucking around.' He said, reaching out to get him again. Sans blipped to the couch. Since the incident, he had found that he had a little magic again, but not all of it. He could conjure a few bones and levitate small items, but he couldn't summon Gaster Blasters, though he was able to teleport a maximum distance of two meters. It was enough to be able to get out of trouble, and a fun way to mess with the shifter brothers.

'Blue, enough!' Jason growled, hand raised. His eye turned purple, and a purple aura surrounded Sans. Grumbling, he crossed his arms, waiting for Jason to collect him. This shield had been used to trap him before, and somehow stopped him from teleporting through. He still didn't know how it was possible, but since living with the brothers, he'd stopped being surprised by these strange incidents.

Jason gently scooped him up, running his thumb over his skull apologetically.

'Sorry mate. I'm a little annoyed, is all.' He explained, carefully placing Sans onto his shoulder. Holding onto the fabric, Sans prepared for the walk ahead. Even though the shifter was careful for his sake, each step was jarring.

Sans enjoyed going out with the brothers, though. While the situation he found himself in was not ideal, he still couldn't get over how much colour the surface had. He loved to look out over the green fields where other shifters lounged or played games. The violet flowers that grew everywhere reminded him of the echo flowers from Waterfall, but glistened like stars.

Jason quickly walked into a small building. From the ceiling hung cardboard bats, and scattered around were pumpkins, skeletons and other such creatures. Sans wasn't quite sure why they were there, though. Groups of children sat at desks behind the doors, listening to the people talking at the front. _A school, perhaps?_

Jason paused by a door near the end of the corridor. He took a deep breath, held it, and exhaled.

'Well, cross your fingers we got a well behaved lot.' He wheezed, walking into the room.

It was a simple room, with maybe fifteen desks and a bigger desk by a whiteboard. Four children sat at the desks, scattered around the room and nervously eyeing each other. Two boys, two girls. The blonde girl wore a pricey navy jacket over a white shirt. The other girl was a short haired brunette, wearing grey baggy clothes. One boy wore an ugly brown sweater, occasionally pushing ill-fitting glasses back on his nose. The last boy sat at the back, dark glasses matching his spiky leather jacket.

'Oh-kay then! Heya guys,' Jason greeted with a forced smile, 'I'm Jason, and I'll be integrating you into Silver Gift High. I'm here to fill you in on what's happened, the way the school works, and answer any of your questions. And remember: no question is a stupid question.'

'Can I go home?' Jason didn't immediately react to the smart-ass question from the boy in leather. Watching the boy, who's feet were placed up on the desk, Jason's gaze seemed to dig through his arrogant exterior and make him shrink away. Sans watched eagerly, wanting to see how his shifter would react. It was difficult to judge how he'd react to most things, but it was usually entertaining to watch.

He began laughing. His tense form relaxed mightily. Throwing back his hood, he gently scooped up Sans from his shoulder, placing him on the big desk.

'I'll admit kid, I haven't heard _that one_ in a while,' He grinned, 'Thank you for that.'

When the two girls noticed the skeleton, they squealed, jumping from their seats to get closer.

'OMG! He's so adorbs!'

'I know! He is _so_ _cute_!' Sans stiffened, backing away from them as they cooed over him. But at least they didn't grab him.

'Aww, he's blushing.' The boy with glasses whispered, smiling down at the skeleton. This just made him blush harder, and he pulled the hood up to try and hide it.

'Okay, okay, give 'em some space, kids. Grab a seat,' Jason said, looking over to the other boy, 'Hey, ya gonna join us, or what?' The boy glared at Jason, but quickly walked over. The four now sat in a semicircle in front of the big desk.

'Okay then. A little exercise, so we get to know each other a bit. State your name, and maybe how you got turned?' Jason inquired, leaning casually against the desk.

The children shifted in their seats, looking between each other nervously. The boy with glasses cleared his throat, eyes staring intently at his hands.

'Uh, m-my name is David, and, um... I got turned when my father was out of subjects for his home-made tonic.' Jason stiffened beside Sans.

'Wait, is your dad John Marxis?' The boy shut his eyes, nodding his head sadly.

'So _you_ were the one who survived the madman's experiments, huh?' The boy in the leather snorted, 'I'm Tyrol. Got dared to take it from a bunch of goons. Now that I think about it, I probably shouldn't have done it.' Jason rolled his eyes.

'They can tell you all about the pain, but nothing can prepare you for the actual experience.' The brunette muttered. Jason laughed at this.

'Well, what did you expect? The Silver Tonic is designed to completely transform your body down to the cellular level. It is _not_ a comfortable process.' Jason lectured. Tyrol rolled his eyes, his arms crossed in annoyance.

'Well, I'm Robyn,' The brunette muttered, nervously rubbing her arm, 'I, um... I'll admit, I shouldn't have been messing with my mothers' stash...'

'What, she a junky or something?' The blonde asked, which made Robyn shrink into her seat, 'Well guys, I'm Liana. I got turned when I was getting mugged the other night. The druggo had _no_ idea what was in that syringe of his.'

'Well, all things considered, those are very mild incidents.' Jason noted.

'Wait, what?' Liana screeched, 'What do you mean, " _mild_ "? I got **attacked** , for crying out loud! How is that considered _mild_?!'

'Did you kill anyone?'

That question silenced them all. Sans looked up at Jason, who's eyes had flickered to red for just a moment. He glared at each of the kids in turn.

'You didn't kill anyone. While you may have to stay at the Community for some time, you still are able to contact your families. They can still visit you. I don't want to hear your bellyaching, when the others at this school have suffered more than you could ever imagine!' He bellowed, suddenly seeming twice as tall and ominous, 'Remember this. Almost every single shifter out there... is an orphan. They don't want to hear a bunch of _noobs_ like you complain when you can still see your family. Be thankful for what you still have.'

For a long while the four sat there, silent, just thinking about what Jason had informed them of. Sans could only stare up at his shifters pained face. He was just nothing but a mystery.

'Did _you_ kill anyone?'

Jason cleared his throat, now smiling warmly as he ignored Tyrol's curious question.

'Well, now that we got that out of the way,' He began, leaning against the desk, 'What do you all know about the shifters?'

'Shifters are considered a super soldier.' Tyrol muttered.

'What else?'

'Shifters are a kind of cyborg?' Liana muttered. Jason smiled at this.

'A subtype, yes. We have the ability be switch between a mainly organic form, to a mainly robotic one. Either way, our senses are heightened, our immune system is stronger, and we are _much_ harder to kill.' Jason lectured.

'Right, I've seen those forms on Youtube before,' Tyrol grinned, 'They're _really cool,_ you gotta admit.'

'Yes, but the only reason you'd need to be in that form is if you are in battle,' Jason warned, leaning forward, 'In your robotic form, not only will you have access to your weapons, but your skin will become reinforced – making it harder to hurt you – and you will have more power running through you to use for your abilities. Now, anything else?'

'Shifters are classified into ranks. These ranks are... they, um...' Robyn was clicking her fingers, trying to recall the information.

'Go on.'

'The ranks classify a shifters form, personality type, and their function in battle. Some are battle based, while others are more... peaceful, maybe? I don't know.' David listed helpfully.

'And they give us _super powers_!' Liana added sarcastically.

'Not quite. A rank _does_ classify ones function in battle, your right about that, David. Some are stronger than others, but each one is important, remember that. After all, a Warrior won't last long if there is no Medic around to heal his wounds,' Jason coached, then smiled, 'Each rank has an ability reserved to that rank only. A Pilot, for example, is able to control vehicles with their mind. But a Pilot will not be able to hack into a computer like a Telepath.'

'But Ashley can, can't she?' David queried. Jason snickered.

'Well, Ashley is a Succubus, a master rank. With the ability masters have, they are capable of using _every_ ability,' He confessed, 'That does not mean they are all powerful. Even masters have their limits, and are only ever an expert at a couple of the abilities. Ashley is just a little better because she is The _Original_ of the Originals.'

'What does that mean, anyway?' Robyn asked, 'How are Originals different?'

'Well... think of us as vampires. Ashley is Dracula, and the Originals are Dracula's generals. These guys were the first, and oldest, so they are more powerful than the rest,' Jason explained, 'Those who get the same rank after them are called Secondaries. If you compare their power when they were first turned to one of you guys now, you would find they are about ten... _maybe_ fifteen percent more powerful than Secondaries. However, the older you get, the better you become at controlling your ability, thus, the stronger you become.'

'By the way, what did you mean before?' David suddenly asked, 'About our other form having more power?'

Jason was silent for a long moment. A hand stroked his chin, and he had a thoughtful look on his face.

'How do I explain this...?' Then his eyes lit up in a eureka moment.

'Can any of you transform yet?'

'No.'

'Can I trust you not to kill me?'

'… Yes?'

Satisfied, Jason clicked his fingers, which resulted in making the lights turn off. Only a tiny slither of light came from behind the door, allowing Sans to see Jason as he took a deep breath, preparing himself for... something.

Placing his hand against his chest, Jason carefully pulled it away, breathing out.

A glowing orb came out of his chest, illuminating the faces of those who watched with a soft blue hue. It drifted in the air for a moment before resting peacefully in Jason's hand. The orb was clear, with tiny coloured balls – blue, red, black and white – circling the outside. It looked much like an atom, actually. It pulsed lightly, like a heartbeat, and gave off a small warmth.

'What is it?' Tyrol asked.

'Is... is this a Spark?' David asked, adjusting his glasses so he could better examine it.

'A what?' Robyn leaned forward, hands twitching to touch, but she stopped herself.

'Remember what I said about the tonic transforming a being at the cellular level?' Jason questioned, smiling down at the glowing thing, 'This is a Spark... it is my Soul.'

Sans almost got whiplash he looked up so fast. That _is his soul? Why does it look like...?_ The four kids gasped, staring wide-eyed.

'Your Soul?'

'Yep. The Spark is a transformed Soul. It acts almost like a power plant in our bodies,' Jason explained, 'It is the reason we don't need to eat and sleep to regain energy, and it powers our abilities. It would take a _dozen_ human Souls to even come _close_ to a single Spark, least of all an Original.'

With a snap of his fingers, the lights flashed on, making Sans have to blink at the suddenness. Jason had already reabsorbed his... Spark. He now smiled at the awestruck children.

'So, do you have any questions?'

'How powerful are you?'

Jason flinched at David's question. His brows twitched slightly, and his smile became strained.

'And... w-where did _that_ question come from?'

'My father had shown me images of Sparks before, but they had been much duller than that. And the smaller orbs on yours had colour – which they _don't_ from what I've seen! And it had a blue inner glow... only those blessed by _Hydra_ are supposed to...' He trailed off, staring at an uncomfortable Jason with renewed awe, 'Only the three Master's have ever been known to have–'

'OKAY THEN! If no one has any more questions, can I have you all follow me?!' Jason quickly scooped up Sans, placing him on his shoulder as he jumped to the door.

'And where are we going?' Tyrol asked. Jason smiled.

'It's time for your physical evaluation.'


	16. Dean

Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth.

The kids kept running from one end of the large gym to the other. They were racing a timer, and every time one of them failed to reach the wall before it buzzed, they'd have to start again. This had been going on for some time now, and already they were winded and slowing down. Liana had been whining the entire time, while the other three kept trying to shut her mouth. They, as well as Sans, had noticed that Jason would prolong the exercise every time the spoilt girl complained.

Finally, Jason decided to grant them mercy.

'Okay, time!' They collapsed to the ground comically, chests huffing and puffing from the effort of keeping up with the timer. Sans, sitting on one of the wooden beams used as chairs on the wall, began laughing at the sight. _Heh, better them than me!_

Jason watched the display with a frown, quickly writing down notes on the pad he held. He shook his head, strolling into the middle of them.

'You lot are _really_ out of shape, ya know that?' He chastised, noting something else down. Tyrol held up his middle finger in his general direction, but did not move.

'Think ya can do better? Then show us!' Jason snorted.

'I _know_ how fit I am. I have no need to test myself.'

Jason then sighed, looking around at the kids sprawled around him.

'Okay, time to get you lot to transform.'

They groaned as they rolled themselves over, staring up at the shifter above them.

'You're... you're gonna get us to do that _now_?' David asked doubtfully. Jason just shrugged.

'Now is as good a time as any.'

With a mighty sigh, the kids sat up, looking up at the man expectantly. He smirked, bending down to their level. He began quietly instructing them. Sans found himself leaning forward expectantly. _Transform, huh?_ He had never actually seen the process first-hand.

The four closed their eyes and muttered quietly.

Four bright lights enveloped them.

Sans had to look away when the light appeared, but looking back he couldn't help but smile. The four were standing, quietly admiring themselves. They each wore dark uniforms that resembled the clothing they had been wearing before. Their skin had changed into a deep silver colour, like shining steel. David examined a small satchel, pulling out a couple of small devices. Robyn was pulling off a backpack, curiously looking inside. Liana was admiring her own reflection in the shiny surface of her arms. Tyrol was pulling out a gun to examine.

'Okay, David's a Telepath – no surprise there, really. Robyn is a Medic. Liana is a Linguist. And Tyrol is a Hunter,' Jason listed, quickly noting the information down before smiling at the lot, 'So, how you all feeling?'

Tyrol pulled out the two knives situated on his belt, twirling them in his fingers before throwing them blindly out into the hall.

'Oh, I _like_ this!'

One of the blades slammed into the seat inches from Sans with a loud _thud_. He yelped, staring at his wide-socketed reflection in sudden panic.

He didn't notice how he collapsed to his side, shuddering in a small ball. He didn't notice how his breathing became hitched and irregular. He didn't notice the concerned voices around him. All he could see was glowing red eyes through a cloud of dust, watching like hungry hawks as he and a group of monsters scrambled around in fright. Occasionally a blade larger than himself would slam into the ground, or a hole would blow a crater into his path. Someone beside him was slammed into the ground, crumbling to dust around a gleaming blade. There was no escape from one of the sick games the Bolt's liked to play, where they'd gladly murder dozens of monsters. Sans was just thankful Papyrus had never been placed in those games. He didn't need to see so much dust and–

'BLUE JAY!'

Sans blinked a few times, the vision of horrible red eyes and gleaming smiles slowly shifting into a pair of concerned green eyes. Jason. Looking around, he found that he was cupped in the shifter's hand as he looked him over.

'What did you _do_?!' Jason demanded, turning slightly red eyes on Tyrol. Sans couldn't help but cringe at the sight, though no one noticed.

'I-I-I d – I don't know! I didn't hit him. I... I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to _do_ anything!'

'It looks like he's having a panic attack,' Robyn said, rubbing her arms nervously, 'Just get him breathing normally.'

Jason took a deep breath, holding Sans against his chest. He took deep breaths, held them, and exhaled. After a few moments, Sans began to slow his breathing and mimic the shifter's own. In. Out. In. Out.

'Oh, thank the Twins for that,' Jason breathed, rubbing Sans' skull, 'I though the worst there...'

'You always do, don't you?'

Sans felt Jason tense. The fingers around him twitched, as if he wanted to close them into fists, but he stopped himself. He took a deep, steadying breath, before smiling in the new man. He was in a grey hooded jacket, with dark jeans. Blue eyes poked though strands of styled blonde hair. Sans couldn't help but find him familiar...

'How's it goin', Dean? Long time, no see!'

Dean was walking on the seats, hands out to balance himself. He was smiling pleasantly, jumping off a few meters away from Jason.

'Oh, you know. Having fun with the boys. The usual stuff.'

His eyes stopped on Sans, still sitting cupped in Jason's hands. They narrowed for a moment, before widening in recognition.

'Well, if it isn't the old Dodging Champ,' He breathed, bending down to get a better look, 'The guys and I were real upset when this guy got bought out, ya know. He always made our games a _lot_ of fun.'

Now Sans could see the dark tattoo of a hand on the boys neck. It was a sickly hand, which looked like it was choking the boy. He was one of the bastards who had corralled him and so many other monsters into those sick games!

Sans grabbed a fistful of Jason's shirt, trying to shrink away from the boy's excited gaze. Jason must have realized Sans was uncomfortable, for he moved back, holding a hand over him so he was out of the man's eyesight.

'What do ya mean, _"games"_?' He demanded, all pretenses of friendliness gone. Dean snorted.

'Your little monster is a beast at Survival, did ya know that?'

Jason stepped back, eyes flickering between red and black rapidly. His breathing became hitched, and a low growl escaped his throat. His entire form was shaking with various strong emotions. Sans was sure if he didn't have so much control, he would have attacked.

'Oh, don't look at me like that,' Dean pouted, 'At least we aren't doing it to your precious _humans_ anymore, right?'

Sans shivered, trying not to look at the other shifter. But it was impossible not to notice just how much dust now coated him. He had recently been killing monsters. With a snarl, Sans summoned a torrent of bones and flung them at his face.

The shifter hadn't expected an attack, and so had no time to dodge. He yelped, hand flying to check where there were many small cuts and puncture wounds. Red eyes now turned to Sans, making him regret his harsh decision.

'Did that thing just–'

'Leave. NOW!' Jason backed away, keeping Sans close to him.

'Dangerous animals get euthanized!' Dean hissed. Sans cringed away.

'I don't know what your talking about. Blue Jay didn't do anything,' Jason stated condescendingly, turning to the kids, 'Did you lot see him do anything?' The instantly responded with "no's".

'Then I'll deal with it myself!'

Dean charged.

In a swift movement, Sans was held in a firm but gentle fist. Jason sidestepped Dean, sweeping his legs from under him. He quickly shoved Sans into Robyn's hands before he was on Dean again. He held an arm behind his back at an uncomfortable angle, holding him down on the floor. Dean tried to move, but Jason would then pull on the arm, until he began crying out in pain. If he twisted it only a fraction more, it would dislocate, or worse.

'If you _ever_ threaten me, _or_ those I care about, again, I won't hesitate to rip it off. Understand?'

'Yes! Yes! Crystal clear!'

Jason released him, taking a deep breath as he stood up. He turned to the startled kids, smiling pleasantly.

'So, let's get going, shall we?' He reached out to collect Sans.

Dean pulled out a blade from his shirt, leaping to attack while Jason's back was turned. Sans gasped, eye sockets wide. The kids cried out, reaching out, but they would have been to slow. Jason was about to be slashed–

Until someone appeared between them, grabbing the boy's arms effortlessly. After Dean struggled for a moment, the man squeezed his wrist, making him drop the knife with a pained grunt.

'Jason, I thought you knew better than to turn your back to an opponent.'

'Sorry Professor Tigor. Won't happen again.' Tigor grunted, turning the struggling Dean and easily handcuffing him.

'It _won't_ happen again if they succeed, young man,' He grumbled, already walking away, 'One of these days, you are going to run out of luck and get stabbed in the back.'

Jason sighed, gently taking Sans and placing him on his shoulder.

'You kids are dismissed. Go exploring, familiarize yourselves to the school's layout. I'll have someone find you later to help you out for preparing for classes,' He muttered distractedly, rubbing his temples, 'Damn, I need a drink.'


	17. Incident at Ian's

**I just want to apologies for the wait, guys. Work has been busy lately, and when I _did_ get time to work on this... writers block. It took me _so long_ to figure this sequence out, and five drafts before I got a decent copy to put up.**

 **If you have any ideas or events you would like me to write, please feel free to tell me in the reviews. It might help me get the story moving faster, and help if I get writers block again. Thanks :)**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Jason left the gym for the quiet atmosphere of a nearby bar. It was a small place, with the words _"Ian's Place"_ written in bright green neon lights above the door. It was separated into two parts, the bar area and the restaurant. Due to classes being on, the place was deserted.

Jason sat heavily on a stool at the bar, leaning on the bench tiredly. Blue Jay climbed off his shoulder and began examining the empty bar.

'Well, someone looks like shit.'

Jason looked up as a smiling young man walked in front of him, casually leaning against the bench. His long brown hair was tied up in a small ponytale, leaving bright hazel eyes to look him over. His white uniform was stained with dried dough and sauce stains.

'Least I'm clean, Ian.' He quipped. Ian rolled his eyes, smiling good heartedly.

'Have you _seen_ what my employees do in the kitchen?' He demanded, resting his head on his arms in mock despair, 'How will I ever teach this lot how to cook?'

Jason raised an eyebrow when a small light suddenly jumped down from his shoulder. It looked like a flame, but with tiny glasses and in a uniform similar to Ian's, but with a bowtie and vest.

'When did _you_ get a monster?' Ian laughed, reaching out to pet the creature.

'It was Amy's idea. She wanted to know that I would be okay when I decided to take on a couple of apprentices. You know how we get,' He explained, 'Honestly, if I hadn't had Blaze with me, I would have put that lot in the med bay by now.' Jason rolled his eyes at that.

'It would take more than some incompetent apprentices to set you off.'

Blue Jay had been watching their exchange for a while before he caught sight of Blaze. The two stared at each other for a long time, neither of them moving.

 _I wonder how two male monsters will react to each other._

 _Probably rip each other apart, Chief._

 _Or they'll be friends... right?_

 _Sir, if they are a territorial species, like dogs, we may need to break up a fight soon._

 _Ooh! That could be fun! :)_

Blue Jay made a strange sound, before blipping to the elemental's side. The two shifters moved to intervene, but ended up stopping mid-lean.

The two monsters were... hugging. They stayed like that for a long time, holding tight. For a moment Jason wondered how the elemental's flames didn't set Blue Jay's jacket on fire. They then moved over to pile of coasters. The two made some grunting noises, arms moving rapidly.

'Hmm... Wonder what _that_ was about.' Jason muttered.

'Ashley _said_ your little skeleton had some abilities,' Ian said with a shrug, 'Honesty, I hadn't believed it, but... _teleporting_? Ha! That's cool.'

'Yeah,' Jason murmured, smiling fondly at the interacting monsters, 'He really is something else.'

'Holy Twins, _WHAT_ am I doing?' Ian yelled, slamming his hands on the bench, which made the two monsters flinch, 'Is there anything I can get you? Burger, wings, kebabs, pie?'

'You still serve those crumbed sausages?' Jason asked. Ian beamed, already backing away, 'Of course.'

After disappearing out back for a while, Ian burst back into the bar with a grin.

'Okay. I got one of the girls cooking it in the back. Should only be ten minutes, tops,' He explained, before grimacing, ' _Hopefully_ she doesn't blow up my kitchen.' The two shared a laugh. It was nice to interact with other people again.

The light mood was shattered when the doors busted open. Three boys sauntered inside, laughing loudly as they shoved each other in jest. Ian had stiffened, watching the group as they sat themselves down.

'Hey barkeep! Bring us over some drinks, will ya?' Ian shifted uncomfortably, eyes darting to Jason, to the group, and to Jason again. Finally he pulled out some glasses, ready to serve his loud customers.

Jason turned a little so he could watch the group from the corner of his eye. One was a rouge, the others bolts. He had noticed how Blue Jay had pushed Blaze and himself behind the coasters, out of sight. It was enough to make Jason wary of the lot.

When Ian returned from serving them, he looked almost sick.

'They have a monster,' He whispered, quick to get behind the bar, 'She... she doesn't look too good.'

There was a loud cry, followed by laughter, as if to further establish the bad deeds happening across from them. Jason watched as they pushed the monster around. She looked like she could barely stand, but through pure determination and stubbornness she continued to try and move away from them, to escape. They would then push the monster, making her fall to the table with a pained grunt.

'Hey,' Jason called, smiling, 'Sounds like your having fun over there, huh?'

The boys began laughing again, ignoring the monster that was trying to get to her feet, but continued to collapse to her knees.

'You bet, man!'

'Best entertainment we've had since the peace began.'

Blue Jay had poked his head out and stiffened when he saw the injured monster. He blipped to the table, grabbing her arm, before returning to Jason's side. Jason felt bile rise in his throat. Her red hair fell in matted chunks around her face. Her sharp eye was unfocused, the other covered with an eye patch. Her scale covered skin was pale and dirty, looking much too dry for a fish-like monster. He could have sworn he'd seen cracks in her form, like she was struggling to keep herself in one piece. Ian hadn't been kidding. It was a wonder the monster wasn't dead.

'Hey!'

'The hell, man?!'

'Where is our monster?'

'Sorry boys. I'm afraid your monster has now been confiscated.' Jason explained, moving his arm so the two monsters were hidden from their sight.

'What? Why?'

'Because of your inability to properly care for her. _That's_ why.'

The group began to growl, standing up and circling Jason. He just sat there, calmly looking around at them.

'What gives you the right, _Oak?'_ One demanded. Jason smirked.

'Being part of the Guard gives me the right to intervene in drastic affairs. Your mistreatment of your little monster is only _one_ of my many duties.'

'I payed a lot to get that lil' shit,' The rogue spat, stepping forward so he was inches from Jason's face, 'I'm not letting you flog her, ya hear?!'

Jason just smiled, unimpressed by his show of intimidation. He stepped forward, wrapping an arm around the startled boys neck.

'Dude, mate, buddy, friend. Let me give you a tip on the art of intimidation,' He cooed, eyes shifting to red as his grip tightened, 'It _only_ works if the intimidator poses an _actual_ threat.'

Before the other two could move to help, Ian had moved. He now held a shotgun, pointing it at them. His casual and kind nature had shifted into a soldier, ready to battle if necessary.

'Don't. Just... don't.' He ground out, cocking it.

'You can't shoot us,' One of the Bolts muttered, smirking, 'It goes against the treaty.'

'Don't talk to an Original about the treaty, son. Every Original knows the treaty. Part three: no killing between sides unless in self-defense,' Ian stated matter-of-factly, making the boy pale slightly, 'I believe trying to attack my friend will be enough reason for shooting, don't you?'

The three bolt's looked between each other, unsure of what to do. On one hand, it should be interesting what would happen if they continued trying to retrieve the monster. On the other... you don't mess with a seasoned Original like Ian. The two bolts quickly strolled to the door.

'Not worth it, man.' And they were gone.

Jason looked down at the rogue, who was struggling in his hold. He smirked.

'Well?' The rogue growled.

'Okay. Not worth it.' He was released, quickly fleeing after his friends.

Jason sighed, sitting back down.

'Well, that went well.'

It was that moment that a timid young girl walked in, setting two plates down.

* * *

Sans hadn't expected the new shifter, Ian, to have _Grillby_ , of all monsters. But in a way, he was glad to see that the elemental was _in his element_. Heh. It would have been weird for the barkeeper to be anywhere else but a bar. Standing by the pile of coasters, the two began to catch up.

 _'how has the shifter been treating ya?'_

 _'...At first, he handled me almost like I was made of glass, if you can believe that. But after some time, we grew more comfortable around each other,'_ Grillby explained, then smiled, _'He lets me help out in the kitchen, even if everything is over-sized.'_

 _'sounds like fun..._ Blaze _. heh'_

 _'...Anyway, where's Papyrus?'_

 _'with Jason's little bro,'_ Sans declared, shrugging, _'those two have been spoiling us rotten, I swear.'_

 _'...It's good to see you were able to stay with your brother, Sans.'_

 _'so, how come you're with him?'_

 _'...It was actually his girlfriend who got me. He was having trouble controlling his anger around his apprentices. She got me to help him gain more control,'_ He shrugged, _'Seemed to work. Before he got me, he had to go knock down a tree in order to calm down. Now he doesn't even need to leave the kitchen.'_

 **THUMP!**

'Holy Twins, _WHAT_ am I doing?' Ian yelled, hands slamming against the counter. The two monsters flinched at the sudden noise.

'Is there anything I can get you? Burger, wings, kebabs, pie?'

'You still serve those crumbed sausages?' Jason asked. Ian beamed, already backing away, 'Of course.'

Sans and Grillby looked at each other, smirking.

 _'what is a "crumbed sausage"?'_

 _'...A sausage that is covered in a herb based crumb.'_

...

 _'shifters are weird.'_

 _'...Agreed.'_

The two talked some more while the shifters laughed above them. The bar was calm, friendly and warm.

Until the bolts and rogue walked in.

 _i just keep running into guys from that stupid game, don't i?_

Sans quickly hid Grillby and himself behind the coasters. He didn't like the sharp look those gamers always gave, and didn't want them directed anything at the two monsters. Ian and Jason had become tense, keeping an eye on them. Then Ian came back over from serving, face pale.

'They have a monster,' He informed, shaking his head, 'She... she doesn't look too good.'

Jason began talking lightheartedly began talking to the lot. Feeling that they were distracted enough, Sans poked his head out. At first he couldn't see who it was. But then he saw a flash of bright red hair and blue scales. _Undyne!_

He didn't waste a second. He had blipped over, grabbing her arm, and got her back to Jason. Grillby gasped, rushing forward to try and help. Jason took one look at her sorry self and glared at the lot, who were now angry they had lost their toy.

Sans snapped his fingers in front of her face, trying to get her attention. A glazed over eye looked over at him, uncomprehending at first. Then her eye widened in recognition. She mouthed his name, and he smiled.

 _'Undyne, don't worry. you'll be okay now.'_

Jason had now moved his arm in front of the monsters so that they were out of sight. Undyne flinched when he unknowingly loomed over slightly, though she quickly tried to hide it. Sans wrapped an arm around her shoulders, one hand over her soul.

 _Undyne_

 _ATK: 7_

 _DEF: 0_

 _HP: 0.05 / 45_

She _really_ needed some help here.

The group had now stepped over, standing threateningly. Sans tried to keep Undyne out of their line of sight as the shifters began to argue.

Then Jason stood up.

 _ooooooooo... this is gonna be interesting._

Then Ian was holding a large gun, seeming more annoyed than anything.

And now the three had fled the building.

The three monsters breathed out sighs of relief. The confrontation had been quickly resolved, and Undyne was now sitting up on her own.

 _'...And I thought_ Ian _was scary when he got mad.'_

 _'there is a lot more to Jason than_ anyone _seems to realize.'_

Jason and Ian began to laugh, relaxing now that the confrontation was over. They began to munch on some chips as they continued to talk.

'Got a new condiment imported recently,' Ian muttered, holding up a glass bottle, 'Wanna give it a try?' Jason shrugged, taking the red substance.

Sans stared at it. He _had_ to have it.

With a quick blip, he had snatched one of the chips, with a large helping of ketchup. Jason just laughed, noting how his monster enjoyed the stuff. He made a note to obtain more of the substance for his little skeleton.

'What are ya gonna do with her, then?' Ian asked, looking down at the slightly better monster. He had grabbed a bottle cap of water to give to the fish monster. She was stubborn and refused, until Sans made her have some water. She looked much better after that.

'Well, I don't want her to go to the Shelter. I don't want to risk her getting adopted by another abuser,' Jason muttered, finger tapping his chin, 'I suppose I could ask around and see if - **Aahhhh**!'

A knife whizzed through the air and planted in the middle of Jason's back. Sans held Undyne closer as he thrashed around, yanking the weapon out. The rogue stood at the door, smirking.

'For the Mandimal's number one bounty hunter, you sure are pathetic!' He turned to run.

But bashed into someone, falling to the ground.

A girl was standing above him. Long black hair trailed down her back, fashioned in two piggy-tails. She wore a dark dress and corset, showing off a slim figure and contrasting with her pale complexion. A black choker hugged her neck, a single ruby dangling from it. The dress had red silk lining, and only reached to her knees. Large black buckled boots thudded the ground as she stepped closer to the rogue, who now quivered and tried to back away. Dark green eyes stared down at him. _why is he so scared? she wouldn't even reach his chest. she can't be much older than sixteen._

She planted her hands - clad with fingerless gloves - on her hips, glaring down at the quaking man.

'Madame Oakfield.' He gulped, looking away from her piercing gaze. She looked over to Jason.

'Is this the jerk who hit ya?' Jason smiled, eyes flashing red and black when he saw the fearful look on the rogues eyes.

'Oh yeah.'

'No! No no no no no! Please!' Oakfield pulled a small, chunky looking gun out, twirling it in her hand. The rogue tried to run, but she slammed a boot into his chest. Sans shivered when the rogue screamed in pain. He wasn't sure if anyone else had seen, but when she moved a blade had shot out of the sole of the boot, slamming into his chest.

She bent down, tsking as she shook her head.

'When you insist in initiating a fight with a protege to the Original's, the _least_ you can do is be a man and finish it,' She cooed, aiming the gun in his face, 'Otherwise, someone _else_ will finish it.'

 **Bang!**

The rogue seemed to become digital and pixelated. Then the little dots of colour shot into the gun, as if he had never been there.

Oakfield stared at the gun, then squealed. She skipped over to the boys.

'It works! It works! It works!' She screamed, wrapping her arms around Jason, making him flinch in pain. She didn't seem to notice.

 _'...Their total disregard for the health of others is concerning.'_

 _'I agree, Grillby.'_

Undyne was staring at the girl with a strange fascination.

'New prototype, I presume?' She giggled gleefully, nodding.

'And it didn't blow up in your face, too. You're getting better, Lenny.' Jason quipped. She frowned at him.

'Please. Prototypes blowing up in your face builds character.'

'So what is it,' Ian asked, frowning, 'Am I gonna have to inform Ash about a death in my restaurant?' She snorted.

'Boys, I'd like ya to meet... the "Uploader".'

She paused, waiting for something. Sans wasn't sure what, though. Finally, Jason sighed.

'What does it do?' He asked disinterestedly. She grinned, excited about being asked.

'Ya know those Pokemon games? How they _literally_ capture a living organism and upload them into a computer, then let the out as a complete organism again?'

Jason looked up, mouth open.

'You didn't.' She giggled again.

'If we perfect this weapon, we would be able to fight _anybody_ without harming them.' Lenny explained.

'And if we accidentally hit an innocent, we can just let them out, no harm done!' Ian exclaimed, suddenly excited, 'Lenny, that is _brilliant_!'

'I know! The Rat and I just finished up, and it did brilliantly for its first go!'

'He know you have it?' Jason asked, raising an eyebrow. She frowned.

'He's not the boss of me.' She exclaimed with a pout, much like a little child. Jason smirked.

'No, but _Ashley_ is.'

'Oh please. She loves me.'

'But you have already lost that prototype shrinking ray you two made.' Ian noted.

Sans looked over at the girl. _did_ she _build the thing those Bolt's used on us?_

'T-that wasn't my fault!'

'Hey, I won't say anything,' Jason said, smirking, ' _If_ ya do me a favour.'

She glared at him. He just smiled, uncaring to the almost palpable murderous intent radiating off of her. Finally she sighed.

'Reduced to taking blackmail. What have I become,' She muttered halfheartedly, smiling back at him, 'What is it?'

Jason looked down at Undyne, who was still being hidden behind Sans. She cocked her head curiously, examining the injured monster.

'Little fish monster got abused by that guy and his mates, ' Jason explained, shrugging, 'Think you can take care of her until we find her a forever home?'

Lenny bent down so she was more on their level. She leaned against the bench, smiling kindly.

'Hey there hun.' She said, slowly reaching over and gently patting her head. Undyne bared her teeth, batting the fingers away. Lenny just snickered, her grin growing slightly.

'You're a ballsy little thing, aren't cha?'

'bass, _if Jason trusts her, I'm sure you will be fine with her.'_ Sans smirked when she growled at the pun, but she examined the girl again.

 _'She looks like she's stepped right out of an anime.'_ She signed excitedly. Sans' grin widened.

Undyne steeled herself, using Sans' shoulder to get to her feet. Lenny watched her step closer curiously. She slowly placed her hand on the bench, raising an eyebrow in almost a challenge. Undyne grit her teeth, bounding onto her hand. She wouldn't be challenged, no matter how much bigger her opponent was.

Lenny was slow as she moved the occupied hand closer, getting a good look at the monster. She frown at the injuries that still coated her body. Her other hand cautiously moved to touch the tattered clothes, brow furrowing in disgust. Undyne just smirked at her, noticing she wore a Bleach bracelet. An anime fan.

'Know what?' She said, looking over at Jason, 'Don't bother trying. She's gonna stay with me!' With that, she stood up, hugging the monster close, 'First things first, lets getcha out of those sorry excuses for clothing.'

Jason and Ian looked at each other.

'Think she'll be okay?' Jason asked. Ian shrugged.

'She may seem like a destructive, uncaring brat, but when she gets attached to something, _nothing_ will come to harm it.'

It was good to know that Undyne was in good hands, at least.


	18. Shopping Trip

Undyne didn't know what to think about this shifter.

On one hand, she was awesome! She was practically a walking anime heroine, and seemed like a total badass if that first encounter at the bar was anything to go by.

But on the other hand, she was clearly dangerous. As she walked she imitated a dangerous aura that left passersby scrambling out of her way. Undyne had had many "owners" already, each one horrid in their own way. She hated shifters as much as she did humans, now.

 _But Sans said I'll be fine_ , she tried to argue. He had always been a lazy worker, but his opinion was always informative and good. She was just hesitant to trust. But as stubborn as she was, she didn't know how much more abuse she could take.

The shifter had stopped at a pet store, rushing to the monster section. There was a spinning tower rack filled with different outfits. Undyne was placed down on a nearby shelf as she shifted through the fabric, pulling out some colourful dresses.

 _Oh no! I'm not wearing another dress!_ She remembered her first owner, a female human child who enjoyed playing dress up. Not only was she humiliated from being treated no better than a doll, but she was forced to wear sickly bright pink gowns with frilly lases. After Undyne had thrown stuff at the child and shredded the abominations, she'd been quickly returned to the shelter.

The shifter looked at the dresses, holding them out to Undyne to get a good look. Undyne growled, trying to swat them away. The girl cocked her head in thought, then shook her head.

'Nah. I don't think dresses would suit you, hun.' She put them away, returning to her search. She didn't notice how Undyne sighed with relief.

She then pulled out a new outfit, consisting of dark pants and a black shirt with a white cross that looked like it was spray painted on. She paired it with a stylish camo jacket with tiny golden spikes trailing down the shoulders to the elbows. After a moment of thought she grabbed a tiny black beany and black boots, holding it in front of Undyne, who stared longingly. She had to admit, the girl had good taste in clothing.

'What do ya think?' She inquired, looking between the monster and outfit in a contemplating way. She nodded.

'Yeah. I believe this suits ya more,' She muttered, backing away, 'I'll be right back, hun.' She ran off to talk to an employee to acquire the supplies she'd need. As she did, she quietly muttered, 'Now just what am I going to call her?'

Undyne sighed, sitting down. So far, so good. She just had to make sure the shifter knew she wouldn't stand for anything demeaning. Not anymore. She would not show fear!

THUMP!

She would forever deny jumping at the unexpected noise.

A teenage human was leaning against the bench, manhandling a small bunny monster Undyne didn't recognize. Her hair was blonde, styled up into a fancy bun. Her face was coated in a strange substance that made her face three or four shades lighter than the rest of her. She was wearing a pink skirt and jacket with a white blouse underneath. She was smiling a radiant smile, but seemed completely unaware of the monsters discomfort.

The human dumped the bunny onto the bench, which left the monster falling a few inches before thudding against the wood with a yelp of pain. Undyne went to her side, sending the unaware human girl a scathing glare before checking her over. She was clutching her arm, tears in her blue eyes. Undyne winced in sympathy as she gently prodded the injury. It was only bruising, but it still would have hurt. Did that human even realize how much pain she had caused for the bunny?

'Fluffy, check it out! This would look perfect on you!' The girl gushed loudly, making the two monsters wince at the sound. She was holding up a girly looking white blouse and pink skirt. The material was coarse and rough, but all the human cared for was that the two would match. She reached forward, but Undyne bared her fangs, holding the pained monster girl behind her. The human frowned, swatting her to the side.

'Buzz off, you.' Undyne glared defiantly, unhappy with being so easily pushed aside. _If I was my normal size, I'd pulverize ya, punk!_

She gasped when she saw the bunny grabbed up in a fist. She groaned, tears in her eyes as she gasped for air. There was a audible creak as frail bones were almost crushed.

Without thinking, Undyne grabbed the closest object - a bottle of shampoo, by the looks of it - and threw it at the girl. She may have lost her magic, but she refused to stand by helplessly as one of her people got hurt.

The human yelped as the bottle hit her nose. While it wasn't enough to cause damage, it still stung. She glared at the offending monster.

'You little shit!' She screeched, slamming a fist down. No matter how brave Undyne was, having such a large object coming right at her was enough to make her flinch. She held her arms out to try and block the attack, but she knew she would never be able to withstand such a blow, especially when she was still healing.

But someone had grabbed the humans hand, holding it in place.

'I'd suggest rethinking your decision, honey.'

The human turned to the shifter, her face red with fury. The shifter just brushed the look aside, looking unamused by her actions.

'Get your hands off me,' The girl shrilled, 'Do you know who I am?'

'Amelia Rosetta Sanders, age seventeen, single child of Greg Sanders, age thirty-four, mayor of the nearby human community,' she stated matter-of-factly, 'And if you try to harm my monster again, I will _not_ hesitate to put your pretty cosmetic enhanced face through the ER.'

The girl, Amelia, was about to speak, but paused when she noticed the shifters red eyes. Undyne shivered. Red was bad. Red was rage. She had learnt not to provoke a shifter when their eyes became like blood. It was when they were at their most dangerous, in her experience. Amelia paled, trying to pull her arm away.

'L-let go of me!' She demanded. The shifter paused, eyes darting between the girl and trapped monster.

'I can't in good conscience let you go and continue hurting your own monster, now, can I?'

'I'm not hurting her!' She denied.

The shifter smirked, her grip on the girls wrist tightening. Amelia cried out, trying unsuccessfully to twist out of her grip.

'Now imagine that pressure around your torso, Amelia.' She blinked away tears, looking between the shifter and monster. She gasped, eyes widening.

'Wait... am I...?'

The shifter sighed, but her grip didn't loosen.

'Amelia, you are a nice girl. You obviously care about your monster. She's well fed and in good health,' She noted, lean forward, 'Ya just gotta _loosen your grip_!'

As the girl gingerly loosened her hold, so did the shifter, that way Amelia was aware of how tight her hold truly was to something so small. She finally just decided to hold the monster in her palm, realizing she couldn't safely hold her in a fist without a tight grip. Otherwise she would have fallen through her fingers. With a pleased hum the shifter released her.

'There you go,' She beamed, 'Just remember that you need to be careful with her, and you'll be a good owner.' Amelia nodded, beaming.

'Thanks ma'am,' She stated sincerely, 'If I had hurt her, even accidentally, I don't think I could live with myself.'

'Don't worry hun,' The shifter said, eyes becoming soft, 'When you find yourself in the company of those much weaker than you, you learn to become gentle quite quickly. Its a humbling experience.' Amelia nodded knowingly.

'You lot would know that firsthand, huh?' The shifter smirked.

''There is a reason shifters live apart from humans when they are new to their forms,' She muttered with a smile, 'It take a while for a shifter to learn the extent of their strength, and longer still to keep it under control so not to hurt others.'

'You know, you would make a great professor at S.G. High.' With that, Amelia was gone, acutely aware of the monster in her now protective and careful hands.

The shifter snorted, shaking her head with a smile.

'I already am, hun.'

She then turned to Undyne. She smiled fondly.

' _Someone_ is a protective little warrior, huh?' She paused, then bent down to her level.

'Ya know, I think I have a name for you now,' She said, smiling brightly, 'I'll call you Hrist, after one of the mighty Valkyrie war-goddesses. Suits ya, I think.'

With that she gently scooped her up, walking out of the store with the single outfit and basic supplies. The shifter scoffed, glaring down at the clothes angrily.

'I can't believe that is all they had that would suit you,' She grumbled, then smiled, 'But that just means I can get Becc to make you some clothes. She's a genius with a needle and thread, and her clothes will be _much_ more comfortable than the store brand clothes...'

As she continued to talk, Undyne smiled. Maybe... just maybe... she'd be safe with this strange shifter. She had to at least make an effort.

And she could start by calling her by her actual name.

 _I trust Sans' judgement. Lenny won't hurt me._


	19. Stargazing

**I am so glad to see that people are liking this little story of mine. Thanks :)**

 **And I'd quickly like to answer a few inquiry's I've seen in the reviews.**

 **1\. Sign language. Yeah, that's a bit of a plot hole, isn't it? I had come up with this story really quickly, and got so excited that I posted it without thinking through it. I won't change what I've got, but in a later (much later, sadly) chapter I'm going to have someone who can understand sign language. May or may not have to do with Jason's voices.**

 **2\. To the guest who wants to use my AU for their own story... I am honored that you would want to use it! Yes, you can use it! I'd love to read it myself if you get around to posting it.**

 **Okay, enough of that. I hope you'll all like some Papyrus time now! Haven't had much development with him, so its about time I got this posted. Enjoy!**

 **EDIT: I can't math :( , so it quickly fixed up the math problem further through. Thanks for pointing out the rubbish I had before so I could fix it :)**

* * *

Papyrus loved the surface.

Everything was just so complicatedly complex. There were so many bright colours, yet complementary dullness. The familiar flowers created scents he had never experienced before. There was always something new. New sights, new smells, new sounds.

And just when you began to get used to the strangeness, the world would change. The trees on the mountain had been a crisp green, and now they rippled with flaming reds and oranges, much like his magic. The school building was once quite bland, and now was alive with images of cool skeletons. _THEY REALLY LIKE SKELETONS HERE... AND WHY WOULDN'T THEY? I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM A SKELETON, AND I AM_ VERY _GREAT. NYEH HEH HEH!_ The sky would first be like still water, before being plunged into a beautiful darkness. Papyrus liked that change. After all, it was the change that would bring forth the stars.

Stargazing was one of the many activities Comrade had taken Papyrus to, and he was quite glad about it. After the whole shrinking fiasco he had thought he'd never see the stars. At the store they'd all be locked in a dark and cramped cage in the back room - the only time Papyrus was ever jealous about his brothers' small stature. At the house, the windows had always been covered by thick blinds. Many a time the skeleton brothers had tried to get passed it to gaze at the stars they knew to be on the other side, and each time they had failed.

Now Papyrus sat atop a hill away from the bustling Community, surrounded by Comrade and his small group of friends. The shifters had set up many blankets for the group to sit on, and had prepared a picnic basket for the event. The sun would be setting soon. They chatted together quietly, a couple wrestling a few meters away. It brought a sad smile to Papyrus. The roughhousing reminded him of his training lessons with Undyne. He hoped she was okay with her shifter.

Comrade wasn't partaking in the conversation as he normally did. He instead had his head in a book, tapping a pen against his head. He was concentrating really hard on something.

'What'cha doin'?'

A girl had slid over to Comrade, draping over his shoulder to see the book. Short silver hair fell around her round face, partially covering her left eye. That eye was a glassy white colour, while the other was a bright blue. Papyrus was always fascinated about the girls strange eye colour, but frustratingly wasn't able to ask about it. She smiled down at the monster, offering him a slice of apple that he gratefully accepted. She was a gentle soul, this girl.

'Math homework,' Comrade grumbled, looking at her with pleading eyes, 'Dawn, your good at math. Can ya help?'

Papyrus liked Dawn. She had always been gentle with him, while the others had been rough. It wasn't that they were intentionally hurtful, they were just oblivious to how they looked to someone so much smaller. When they realized they had hurt him the first time, though, they had become much more careful around him.

She began walking Comrade through the equation, calmly dropping hints when he'd get stuck.

'Okay, 2x + 3 = 13. What is the first step?' She asked.

'Uh... the three?' She nodded, so he quickly noted it down.

'Now its 2x = 10. What's the next step?'

'Uh... there's a number with an x... I had notes about that somewhere...' Comrade pulled out a little sheet with many scribbled notes on it, looking for the information he sought.

'It means I have to times it,' He noted, quickly writing it out, 'so the answer should be... x = 20... right?' Dawn smiled, shaking her head.

'Close.' Comrade looked down at the sheet, scowling at it as he thought.

'Wait, no. It's divide on the other side. So x = 5.' Dawn wrapped her arms around him.

'That's it. You did brilliant!'

From what Papyrus had seen, Comrade always had trouble learning new things. While others in his class were already working on complicated equations, Comrade was still struggling with the most basic questions. The teachers he had were aware of his struggles, and were always kind and helpful.

'Hey lovebirds, quit your flirting and get over here! Its about to start.'

Comrade glared at the other shifter, while Dawn blushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Papyrus looked between the two curiously. _FLIRTING...?_

Then he saw it. A bright blue ribbon was in the girls hair. _SHE IS WEARING CLOTHING!_ Dawn was wearing clothing and flirting with Comrade. And the boy was oblivious to it. _UNACCEPTABLE! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL NOT STAND BY AND LET THIS ROMANCE FAIL. NYEH HEH HEH HEH!_

The two quickly put away the work, leaning back and looking up at the rapidly darkening sky. Papyrus smiled, grabbing Comrade's hand and beginning to lift it. It took some straining, but he was able to hold it up. With an amused smirk Comrade held the hand up to allow Papyrus easier handling. The two often had sparing matches where Papyrus would wrestle the hand, which he won most of the time. Papyrus pulled the hand over, and placed it over Dawn's own hand.

She flinched, looking over at Comrade. When he realized what Papyrus had done he flinched away, stammering an apology. She just smiled, leaning against his shoulder.

'Don't worry bout it,' She purred, kissing his cheek, 'I don't mind.'

Now both were blushing, and Papyrus felt very proud of his achievement.

The sky had become a silky dark canvas, and tiny pinpricks of light began to shine. The crystals of the Wishing Room were dull and dim compared to the real thing. Papyrus liked to connect them, making images in the sky. There was one of Undyne in a heroic battle stance. One looked like the echo flowers. There was even a frying pan somewhere, but he had trouble finding it again.

'Any minute now.' Dawn muttered, eyes searching the sky.

And the stars began falling.

Papyrus gasped, jumping away and running to Comrade's side. He whimpered, staring up at the falling stars. They fell in tiny white gems, leaving a blue hued streak as they tore across the canvas sky to faraway places. _THE SKY CAN FALL? OH MY STARS! WE HAVE TO... H-HAVE TO... WHY ARE THEY NOT PANICKING?!_

The shifters just smiled down at him, and Comrade gently petted his head.

'Don't worry Cardinal. It's just the Waterfall Meteor Shower. You'll be fine.' He promised.

'It's absolutely beautiful.' Dawn murmured.

Cautiously, Papyrus looked back at the phenomenon. _IS... IS THIS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE?_ The shifters didn't seem worried, and he was confident that Comrade wouldn't have knowingly put the skeleton in danger. So, gingerly, he leaned against Comrade's leg, getting comfortable. Comrade was pleased and began petting Papyrus's shoulder and side. Papyrus sighed contentedly, leaning into the gentle touch.

While the situation was not optimal, he knew that he and his brother had it better than most. They were well fed, had shelter, and were not abused. Though Sans had tried to keep the information hidden, he had heard the humans and shifters talking. The stories they told of mistreated monsters were horrifying.

But he didn't let on that he knew the stories. He had to keep up a happy demeanor around his brother, just as Sans did with him. He was more perceptive than his brother thought. At least Sans was safe after all the chaos and confusion that had happened. His brother was safe, and he could keep an eye on him to make sure he didn't deteriorate into his depressive nightmares. _WHAT WOULD HE DO WITHOUT SUCH A COOL GUY TAKING CARE OF HIM? NYEH HEH HEH HEH!_


	20. This Is Halloween

Jason was on his tablet, as he often was, looking through notes for his current case. Sans sat on his lap, quietly snoring away in his half asleep state. The house was quiet, peaceful, on that autumn morning.

Course, it didn't last for long.

'JAY! JAY! JAY!'

Jason sighed in mock annoyance as Comrade slammed the door against the wall. Sans jolted awake, looking around in a bit of fright until he remembered where he was, relaxing against Jason's stomach.

Comrade noticed his brother on the couch and bounded over, jumping on the cushions in his excitement. Papyrus was thrown off of the shoulder he had been perched on to land in Jason's outstretched hands. Sans yelped as he tumbled over Jason's leg to land on the cushion beside him. Finding it was surprisingly comfy, he didn't bother to get up.

'JAY! Guess WHAT?!'

'What?' He asked with a bemused smirk.

'We got invited to the Halloween Costume Party! We have to go! We just gotta!' He was full on shaking his brother now, eyes large in a pleading way.

'Dude, ya know I don't do well with crowds.' Comrade's excitement dissipated. He leaned back, a disappointed frown on his face.

'Yeah... I just thought - _maybe_ this time - you would want to go,' He then smirked, 'I could introduce you to my girlfriend.'

Sans' eye sockets widened at that. _since when did he have a girlfriend?_ Papyrus just grinned down at him.

'Well, as tempting as that is, I got work to do.'

'But you're _always_ working! I never see you having fun anymore,' Comrade sniffed, eyes glistening with tears, ' _Please_. I'm worried about you. Just this once, will you come along?'

Jason was taken aback by the tears. He was silent, unable to say anything. Sans sat up, patting his leg reassuringly. He smirked down at the skeleton, then reached out to mess up his brothers hair.

'Now, now. I thought it was _my_ job to be the worried one. You're infringing on your brotherly duties there,' He joked, inciting a small snicker from Comrade, 'But, if its what ya want... Alright, I'll come.'

Comrade squealed, making the two monsters flinch slightly at the noise. He snatched his brother in a tight hug, then quickly scooped Papyrus out of his hands.

'Make sure it is something meaningful. You got 'til Sunday.' He then ran up the stairs, presumably to get ready.

Jason sighed, leaning back into the couch. He gently scooped Sans up, holding him in front of his face.

'What have I gotten myself into, BJ?' Sans shrugged, but Jason had already looked away, missing the small action.

A thoughtful look crossed his features and he glanced down at Sans.

'Hmmm...'

Sans was then placed down of the cushion before Jason briskly left the house.

That night Jason was really busy. He had locked himself in his room, dragging a reluctant Sans with him. It was actually the first time he'd been in the room. He had never really been able to get up the stars in the first week to look around, and by the time he regained some of his magic, he'd been too lazy to check. It wasn't much. The unkept bed was in one corner, with a tall cupboard for his clothing. The window was covered in a thick, dark curtain to block out the light and prying eyes. It was fairly tidy... at least, on _that_ half of the room.

The other half looked like a cop show evidence board. A desk was messily piled with notes, while the wall was covered in maps and mugshots, some connected with string. And, sitting neglected in a corner, was the half picked apart skeleton of a gun, which seemed to have been abandoned in the process of being cleaned. Again, it made Sans wonder just what his shifter did when he'd leave the house.

But for now, he piled all of his work onto the bed, clearing a large space. Now he had large rolls of fabric, as well as a bunch of needles, threads and scissors. He planned on making his costume from scratch, it seemed.

He got to work, measuring out and cutting the striped cloth and stitching and gluing strips together to make a formfitting suit. Sans sat near the edge of the table out of his way, but close enough that he could watch him work. He lay the costume out when he was done, and Sans's grin widened. It was a fine, if a bit murky, black and grey suit with a sharp black collar that protruded out. With a nod to his creation, he then looked over at Sans, who stiffened. _wait... he doesn't expect me to play dress-up, does he?_ Sans crossed his arms, looking away from the shifters calculating gaze. He wouldn't wear something stupid.

Jason was then working again, creating a similar suit to the first. This one, however, was a flattering black and blue suit.

'Well? Ya like it?' Jason asked, holding the assortment for him to see better. The pants and jacket were made of black leather, while the bright blue undershirt was made of soft silk. The tie was a darker blue, which matched the sash on a tiny white fedora hat. Sans took the hat, placing it on his head and tilting it slightly. He looked at his reflection in the gleaming metal of the nearby scissors. _oh yeah. i'll admit, i like it._

Jason seemed pleased with this and placed the bundle to the side beside him. He rubbed his hands together, looking down at the large assortment of crafts he had collected.

'Now to get this finished.'

He began working on a strange bracelet, as well as a secondary costume that included a pumpkin in the design. Sans was confused by this. Did he plan on changing costumes during the night?

But he put a lot of work into the design, and Sans was glad to see the guy in such a good mood. He was very secretive about his design, never letting Comrade in to see his work. _It's a surprise_ , he'd say.

Whatever it was, it was sure to be interesting.

* * *

The night arrived quickly. Comrade was very excited, as was Papyrus. The shifter had dressed in dark robes, having a large stick embedded with a glowing purple stone. Papyrus was dressed in gleaming silver armour and held a big model sword. The two had dressed as a necromancer and his skeleton knight minion. For some reason, the though made Sans laugh.

Sans... Well, he wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to be. He felt like he was probably meant to be an old school gangster, wearing the suit and fedora. He didn't have any weapons though, and felt like it was not the costume Jason had intended. Jason really didn't help, as he was dressed, not in a suit, but as a scarecrow. _really J?_ He wore tattered clothes that covered up his whole body, straw sticking out in small patches. He even wore a pumpkin over his head. _least that explains the weird accessory_ , he thought.

'How does a _scarecrow_ match Blue Jay's _gangsta look_ , Jay?' Comrade asked, unknowingly voicing the perplexed skeletons thoughts. Jason just shook his head, stubbornly remaining silent about the truth of his costume.

The party was situated in a large field bordered by a dark metal fence. Torches lit the area with a warm flaming presence. A stage was set up before a dance floor, with sets of tables scattered around it. Small pumpkin lights sat in the middle of each table. There was a spooky tune in the air, occasionally interjected with shrill cackling.

At first Sans almost believed the place to be filled with monsters. He had to remind himself it was just a costume party. There were many strange characters, some he recognized from anime and other shows, while some looked like strange green skinned creatures with multiple eyes. A small crowd gathered at the base of the stage.

'Well well well. Look who the necromancer dragged in.'

Darkscream had walked up behind them. He wore a dark suit, his hair slicked back. From his back were large, fairly realistic wings, tucked loosely against his back. He grinned, showing off long fangs he hadn't had before.

'Let me guess,' Jason muttered, voice sounding bored despite his playful smirk, 'The Originals' "bloodsucker" has dressed up as Dracula? Predictable.' Darkscream laughed, the wings shifting out as he spread his hand out.

'With wings like these, what _else_ was I goin' ta be?'

 _oh... oohhhh... those wings aren't fake._ The wings were translucent somewhat, and Sans could see the veins that crossed through them. _heh. these guys keep getting more interesting every time i see 'em._

'Least I didn't do a half-assed job on mine,' Jason spat in a teasing tone, 'You just put on a suit. _I_ put a lot of work into mine.'

'What, the OZ scarecrow who needs a brain?'

'Oh knock it off, you two.'

Ashley walked over, dressed casually compared to the others. However, there was something on both her shoulders. One was a grimy little goat beast wearing red clothes and dark horns atop its head. On her other shoulder was Toriel, dressed in a shimmering white gown with golden highlights. She smiled at Sans, waving a greeting which he gingerly returned. _she looks a lot better than she did last time, at least._

'Ooooo! The devil and angel on your shoulders! Nice one, Professor!' Comrade gushed excitedly, bringing a smile to her face.

'Well, the costume contest is gonna start soon,' Darkscream said, eyeing Jason's attire, 'You gonna go?'

Jason smiled as the walked over to the stage. He left Sans with Comrade, who sat both skeletons on the desk that Ashley and Darkscream sat at, presumably as a couple of judges. Ashley set Toriel down, and she sat with the brothers to catch up.

 _'how the treaten ya?'_ Sans asked.

 _'They have been absolutely lovely. Despite the fact that they run this entire community, they are all nothing but children.'_

 _'THEY ARE VERY GOOD AT THEIR JOBS, AREN'T THEY? NYEH HEH HEH!'_

They began talking about other things. Mainly about other monsters they had seen since arriving to the surface. They all grew sad at the mention of Frisk, who still hadn't been found by anyone. _where are ya, kiddo?_ Papyrus sensed the sad mood this brought, and began mentioning Undyne.

 _'speak of the devil...'_

A third shifter sprang up behind Ashley, hugging her from behind.

'How ya doing tonight, Ash?!' She gushed, thin arms wrapped around her waist with a surprisingly strong grip.

'Ow. Ow. Lenny. Off. Ow. Now!' Lenny giggled as she released her, swinging to sit in the seat beside her, 'Bitch.'

'Oh, you love me!' Lenny declared, crossing her arms as she planted her feet on the desk.

Undyne sprinted off her shoulder, landing on the table with a battle cry. She wore an outfit similar to the shifter. It was a dark metal chest plate, with a silky skirt that fluttered slightly like stitched feathers. A helmet with black feathers protruded out like ears, and black plated gloves clutched a long, sharp looking spear. She laughed as Papyrus jumped up, practically tacking her to the ground in a hug before she gleefully gave him a noogie.

The contest started not too long after. They got up and introduced their character, before performing a small skit. Many dressed as characters from anime, most performing a small fight scene or demonstrating the power their character possessed. It was all holograms though, just for show. Nonetheless, the sight was thrilling and amazing to watch, keeping both Undyne and Papyrus cheering, while Sans and Toriel sat back with grins.

The last contestant turned out to be Jason. People snickered slightly at his ridiculous costume, but it didn't deter him.

'So, who have we here?' Ashley asked, leaning forward expectantly. Jason laughed.

'Who else, but the king?'

 _huh?_

Music began to play, an eerie, yet upbeat sound.

'~In this town, we call home. Everyone hail to the pumpkin song~'

Jason snapped his fingers, and a spark of flame caught on his costume. The shifters hissed in concern, moving as to help, but paused when Ashley held her hands out to stop them. The music still playing with a chorus of singers, Jason spun as the flames tore away at his costume. As the music reached a mighty crescendo, Jason spun to the crowd, now dressed in the suit he had work so hard on. He held out his hand, and a green slime snapped out, snuffing out the flame beside the judges table. This drew out startled squeaks, then laughter. The slime snapped back, curling around... an arm of bone? The bracelet Jason had worked on now glowed as it functioned, portraying a creature of bones rather than an organic organism. As the music trailed off with laughter, Jason bowed to the crowd.

For a long moment, there was silence. Sans and Papyrus looked at each other.

 _'DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS?'_ Papyrus asked. Sans shook his head, mouth agape in shock and awe.

Ashley snorted, shaking her head as she stood up.

'It has been a while since Skeleton Jack has made an appearance.' She announced, beginning to clap. Darkscream and Lenny jumped to their feet, clapping and cheering loudly as the crowd slowly started to follow suit.

Sans began laughing hysterically, looking up at the pleased form that was once Jason, now in a skeletal form. By far, that was the _best_ performance he had **ever** seen.

* * *

 **Just to clarify, Undyne and Lenny dressed up as Valkyre's from Norse Mythology.**

 **Jason had dressed as Skeleton Jack from "The Nightmare Before Christmas". It is an inside joke for him, because his team were once called The Pumpkin Patch, and as a joke, began calling him SK because he was their leader ("~Skeleton Jack, is king of the pumpkin patch~"). It is a name that he gladly took on, but when he lost his team, his codename became Quintuple (you'll find out why he took that name _really_ soon now ;) ). **

**Hope you enjoyed :D**


	21. Sparkbond

Jason was the winner of the contest. He gained a glass jar full of chocolate, which stood almost to his chest. However, when he saw a group of children eyeing the jar off, he ended up giving it to the crowd to share. With a smile, he sat down at the Original's table while everyone got up to dance.

The monsters watched him as he gazed longingly at the dancing crowd. His eyes never wandered off the sight, so he didn't notice their thoughtful and concerned looks.

 _'If he wants to go out there so bad, why doesn't he?'_ Undyne asked. Sans shrugged.

 _'I BELIEVE IT IS BECAUSE HE GET FRIGHTENED OF LARGE CROWDS. COMRADE SAID SO A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO.'_

But Sans didn't think that was it. Jason had shown that he loved the attention. His spectacle on the stage had proved that. Now he looked at the dancing crowd sadly, his thoughts seeming to be somewhere completely different. What was keeping him from interacting with other people? Again, Sans wondered what was going through his shifters head.

It was at that time that Ashley and Darkscream strolled over, sitting beside the distraught shifter. They were immediately aware of his nostalgic mood.

'How ya doing, mate?' Darkscream asked, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Jason flinched, quickly wiping at his eyes.

'Yeah. I'm good.' He lied. He turned away so they didn't see the tears that had gathered, but the two shared a knowing look. They had seen it.

'Well that's good to hear,' Ashley chuckled, eyes looking towards the dance floor, 'Because _someone_ has something to show you.'

Comrade rushed to the table, dragging a young girl close behind. They were both laughing, pushing each other playfully as Comrade guided her towards his brother. Jason sat straighter, the sad mood dissipating like mist in the sunlight.

Papyrus tapped his brothers shoulder, a big grin on his skull.

 _'THAT IS HIS NEW GIRLFRIEND.'_ He signed proudly.

'Hey. You must be Dawn.' Jason muttered, eyeing the girl critically. She smiled, shaking his hand. She didn't seem put off by the neutral, somewhat off putting greeting.

'Yeah. It's nice to meet ya.'

'Yeah,' Jason muttered, looking over her shoulder, 'Hey Comrade, I think one of the guys is looking for ya.'

Comrade looked back, quickly disappearing into the dancing crowd to find whoever had been looking for him. Dawn moved to follow, but Jason hadn't released her arm. She flinched as his grip tightened. His eyes had hardened, making the monsters and shifters stiffen.

'Kay darling, I'm gonna make this very clear. Comrade is the only family I have left. I will _not_ appreciate someone harming him in any way. So if you hurt him...' He trailed off, the unspoken threat hanging thick in the air, 'I'm sure you get the idea. Do you understand?'

'Y-yes! Yes! P-perfectly!' She stuttered, trying to pull away from him. He looked her over once more, white eyes flashing, before releasing her.

'Good ta hear! Now go on. I'm sure he'd love ta dance with ya!' His voice with merry again, leaving no evidence of the threatening individual he had been moments before. She nodded, rushing off to find Comrade.

Ashley snorted, rolling her eyes.

'Was that really necessary?'

'She is the first person who he's ever been in a relationship with. She needs to know that I won't stand for him being manipulated or abused.' Jason snapped.

 _'...Wow. And I thought_ _ **Sans**_ _was overprotective...'_ Undyne signed. That made the monsters snicker.

'So, how are your cases going?' Ashley asked, ignoring Darkscream as he nuzzled her neck.

'They have thus far been very successful. The perps were caught, there was no major property damage, and no casualties.'

'That's always good.' Darkscream muttered, smiling down at Ashley. She just rolled her eyes at him, but smiled back.

'How have your peace meetings been going?'

'Oh boy...' Darkscream muttered under his breath. Ashley sighed dramatically, leaning against him for support.

'Where do I even _start_? The human government are nothing but idiotic **children**! Their childish squabbles are threatening to start World War Three, and they are trying to put up restrictions on our work unless we share our advanced weapons. And we _all_ know how that will turn out!'

'Eh. Let them kill each other.' Jason scoffed, shaking his head.

'Ya know I can't do that,' Ashley sighed, 'And then there is Jetstone...'

Sans looked up at this. _that was the Verten leader, right?_

'Is he doing anything?' Jason asked, suddenly sounding worried. She snorted.

'Least he ain't harvesting my Spark again.' She muttered sarcastically. Darkscream's eyes flashed red at that.

'He still deserves to be melted down to scrap metal for that!' He growled.

'Well, that's just the thing. He isn't _doing_ anything. He has been working with the human government to the letter, he's been assisting rebuilding the old cities that were destroyed... Hell, he even has a force going out to collect those who committed the worst war crimes. He doesn't stand for anyone trying to even _challenge_ the Treaty's rules.'

'Well... that's good, right?' Jason asked. She sighed.

'I... I don't know. He seems to be doing everything right, but... The fighting is still fresh in our minds, and we're always on edge when meeting. And...' She paused, shaking her head, 'He's been acting weird lately. It's making me paranoid that he's up to something.'

'Ash, we know he is up to something.' Darkscream muttered. Jason cocked his head, leaning against the table.

'Oh? What's he up to?'

'We have had seventeen new shifters in the last two weeks,' Ashley sighed heavily, 'The tonic is becoming common among humans, and none of them seem to realize it.'

'Over half the lot turned out to be Bolts, and only _three_ were Mandimal's.' Darkscream added. Jason hummed, a finger tapping his chin in thought.

'If I didn't know better, I'd say Jetstone was building another army.'

'And on top of that, we've been getting constant complaints from the Community, from minor discriminatory disturbances to theft. It's keeping us from properly looking into it.'

'Theft?' Jason's hand curled around Sans slightly, inciting a startled yelp from the skeleton. Sans looked up at Jason, seeing his eyes had turned blue. He pulled Sans closer, as if to verify that he was still there and not missing.

'Yeah. Many people have been reporting stolen monsters lately.' Darkscream said. The fist tightened slightly, keeping Sans trapped in the shifters hold. He tried to push the digits away, but quickly gave up and just lounged over them like they were pillows.

'Ya know, it was when they were introduced to market that all this crap began.' Ashley mused, looking down at the monsters.

'Lenny and Ratap hacked into their computers a while back. Found out that they were not following animal trapping guidelines. And they seemed to be doing... _experiments_ on them, too.' That made all at the table shudder; the monsters at the thought of experimentation, the shifters reliving nightmarish memories they wished they could forget.

'I don't think that's the end of it, either,' Ashley said, tapping Toriel lightly on the head, 'I can't help but think that... maybe... just maybe their-'

Whatever she was about to say was promptly cut off by a bright blue light that engulfed the entire area. After the bright light had dissipated, all eyes turned to the source.

Comrade and Dawn were holding each other, still caught in a kiss. Between them their sparks had surfaced, showing one red, the other light blue. But what had those watching so captivated was the fact that they had merged souls. It was something souls did sometimes, when two individuals who truly loved each other had their souls merge so their other half a a part of their soul with them. It linked them forever.

The two kids stepped back, looking down at the souls that slowly sank back into the bodies. They looked at each other, then collapsed in a fit of pleased giggles. The crowd around them began to cheer, moving to congratulate the couple. Sans' grin widened at the soulwarming sight.

But Jason stiffened, leaning back as he stared, dumbstruck by the scene. His hands began constricting into fists, making Sans gasp in pain as his bones creaked together. Ashley tore her eyes away from the couple and carefully reached out to take his hand, which released the trapped skeleton. Papyrus rushed to his brothers side, wrapping him in a hug and pulling him back to the small circle of monsters.

'Jason? You okay?' Ashley asked. He blinked, his head turning slowly to look at her. His eye colour was flashing again. Blue. Red. White. Black. Green. Repeat. Blue. Red. White. Black. Green. Repeat. He opened his mouth, but couldn't speak. He cleared his throat, trying again.

'I, uh... I...'

'Ya got no excuse now, C! You _have_ to join our team now!' Jason looked over at his brother, who was surrounded by the friends he had made over his time at the school. He smiled at Dawn, kissing her cheek.

'Of course I will.'

And Jason was gone in a wisp of stirred up wind. Sans looked around, startled by the sudden disappearance. _is that what people feel when i randomly teleport away?_

Ashley looked up, eyes wide. She moved to run after him, but Darkscream pulled her back into his lap.

'Ash, give him some space. The worst thing we can do right now is disrupt their attempt to figure this out.' He instructed, rubbing her shoulders to try and ease the sudden stress that gripped her body. She sighed, looking up to the moon pleadingly.

'I just hope he doesn't kill anyone while doing so.'


	22. Sparkache

Jason paced in the forest outside the Community's walls. He had chosen this spot long ago as a quick escape. No one went there, so there was limited risk of people getting hurt when he found himself in a... in a _mood_. And he had experienced plenty before...

But this was different.

He screeched to the sky, a fist slamming into a nearby tree. It left a sizable chunk gouged out, and after a moment the tall tree began to tumble to the ground. His breaths blew out in a white cloud. He couldn't form a cohesive thought as he tried to steady his breathing, to stop his hands from shaking. Too many voices... Too many conflicting thoughts...

 _How DARE HE? That FUCKER!_

 _It's not like he has a_ choice _over who he Sparkbonds with..._

 _SCREW THAT! He just... He-_

 _Does it really matter? We all knew this would happen eventually._

 _You know, we can always lock him up so he can't-_

 _SHUT THE FUCK UP, CUNT!_

Jason ripped the bracelet off his hand, throwing it in a fit of phantom rage. It disappeared into the dark, leaving the shifter looking like himself instead of a skeleton. He clutched his head, eyes shut tightly. Too loud...

'Stop.'

 _You don't need to shout at me._

 _We can't just_ kidnap _Comrade._

 _That course of action is illogical. Doing so would cause too many complications._

His spark pounded painfully in order to get more blood through his systems. He could feel the pounding in his head as blood raced through his veins like cars in a drag race.

'Quiet!'

 _I don't see_ you lot _coming up with any ideas._

 _There is no way we could do anything about this situation._

 _But... surely we could do_ something _?_

 _JUST FUCKING-_

' **ENOUGH!** '

And it was silent.

Jason sank down to the ground, leaning against the log from the tree he had punched down. He began slowing his breathing. _Stop hyperventilating. That won't help you_ , he scolded. After a few moments he stopped hearing the thumping of his spark echoing in his head. He was calming down... somewhat, at least.

'So captain... what's the plan?' Asked a calm, stoic voice. Jason shook his head hopelessly.

'You know we need to think this through, Jay.' A timid, childish voice chirped.

'We can always force him not to go. It would not be hard.' A silky, sing-song voice piped up, quickly followed by a loud smack.

'Shut the FUCK up! He doesn't need to hear your shit!' An angry voice snapped.

Jason looked up at the boys that crouched before him. All completely different, but each linked to his mind. Sam, Oliver, Hans, and Adrian. Red, blue, white and black.

'What are your thoughts on this, chief?' Sam asked. Jason sniffed, fighting back tears.

'I'm not ready for him to go.'

'It is not your choice, captain,' Hans muttered with a noncommittal shrug, 'Comrade is growing up, and joining their own team is one of the most important events in any young shifters life.'

'He is his own person, and is free to live out the life he chooses,' Oliver stated, a hand gently patting Jason's shoulder, 'We have no right to stop him. You know that.'

'But I'm supposed to _protect_ him!' Jason snapped, his voice rising halfway through the sentence.

'And you will. Just cause the punk is going to live in a different fuckin' house, doesn't mean ya can't still do yer job.' Sam pointed out.

'I can't lose him too.' Jason murmured, tears starting to flow as he sank into himself, drawing his legs to his chest.

'Captain, this route is the best option. Not only will Comrade be happy, but he will gain an entire team who will protect him like you would.'

 _No_ , he thought. _No one will be able to protect him like I can._ He looked away from them, finding it hard to look at their sympathetic gazes.

'So, Jay... What _are_ we going to do?' Oliver asked, his hands wringing the front of his shirt.

'We don't have a choice, do we? If Comrade wants to leave, I won't stop him.' _How could I ever even try?_

'Hee hahaha haha!'

Adrian's laughter set the other three on edge. They watched his gleeful giggling wearily, while Jason sank further into his pit of angst.

'What is so funny, Adrian?' Oliver asked, slinking behind Hans. It was never good when Adrian found something funny. But he just shook his head, still grinning.

 _They may not see it... Even_ you _may not see it yet, Jason... But I know chaos and deterioration when I see it_ , he snickered to himself.

Jason grimaced, clutching his head. An sharp pain had set in, a pounding sensation in rhythm with his aching spark.

 _Oh yes... This is going to be interesting_ , Adrian thought with a final giggle.


	23. Jason Does A Violence

Sans was worried.

Not about Papyrus, though. When he had learnt that he would be leaving with Comrade a few days prior, he'd of course been a blubbering mess. However, a couple of reassuring signed words from Papyrus were enough to calm him down. After all, Comrade adored Papyrus – even if he only saw him as a pet – and would not let _anything_ hurt him. He would be safe with the young shifter.

No.

He was worried about the strange behaviour from Jason.

For the most part, the shifter did nothing but sleep or lounge around. But the sleep would be restless despite the long hours. The rest of the time he'd sit, quiet, in the corner. He stopped eating, and didn't go out like he always did. He was alone in a secluded bubble, unaware of the events around him.

It actually reminded Sans of himself after the kid went through a genocide run.

He wasn't good with trying to calm other people. And being unable to speak would make the process even more tedious. Papyrus had always been the one able to calm down others, while Sans wouldn't know what to do.

Like right now.

Jason was still curled in the corner he had sat himself the night before. He hadn't even bothered to move to the couch to sleep. He had his knees tucked against his chest as he mumbled incoherent phrases in a daze. He stared off at nothing, his once rich green eyes washed out of colour. Sans wobbled on the shifters knees as he attempted to get Jason's attention, but to no avail.

'Useless. Unworthy.'

Sans snapped his fingers in front of one of his eyes, getting no response.

'Why wou- How could you think I... Why do I deserve this? I don't deserve it-'

Sans huffed, stomping his foot and calling out in a grunt.

No response.

'Please... leave me alone,' Jason curled tighter, almost throwing Sans off, 'Just let me rot in peace... I... I-I can't do this...'

With a sigh, Sans turned to leave. The shifter was too absorbed in his thoughts, and the skeleton was too lazy to try and fight this loosing battle.

'Murderer.'

Sans froze. Gingerly, he looked over his shoulder, his grin becoming strained. Tears cornered Jason's now black eyes, a deep scowl splitting his face.

'Heathen. Can't do anything right. Psyco. You couldn't do _anything_ to keep 'em safe... and now you're letting Comrade walk off to his death... _again_!'

Jason began giggling, the sound quickly morphing into sobs as he shook his head. His eyes were suddenly frightful as they became a duller green, slowly becoming more grey as his emotions darkened.

'H-he'll be fine.'

'You said that before... And not only did that break your promise, but now the child has to live with the constant reminder of your biggest failure. You are _useless_ , even with all your power... and you _know_ it.'

Jason's face fell, and he slouched over his knees. Tears fell down around the skeleton, more like rain at his size.

'Useless...'

Sans couldn't take it. He knew he shouldn't do it, but...

He just couldn't see the kid suffer like that.

Sans reached out, placing a cold bony hand on Jason's nose to offer comfort. His eye blazed for a second... and he ended up flinching away, holding a now pained limb close. Jason was burning to the touch, his form shaking wildly. Even Sans' magic wasn't helping him at this stage. Jason was getting worse, fingers that were previously hugging himself now digging into his skin to draw blood. Sans blinked, taking a step back. He couldn't help the boy. He couldn't-

Then a hand appeared from out of nowhere to slap Jason across the face.

Sans yelped, slipping off Jason's knees and falling onto his stomach. Jason cried out in pain, gingerly touching the mark on his cheek. He blinked a couple of times, eyes slowly refocusing on the figure before him.

'Wha- Hans?'

Hans was a tall man, even crouched down like he was, dressed in black and white camo cargopants and a dirty white shirt. His hair was in an army cut, starch white, and three red scars trailed across his pale face. He grabbed Jason's shoulders, forcing him to sit up.

'Captain, why are you listening to the madman? He is merely feeding you seeds of doubt so to bring you down, and you know it.'

Jason shook out of his hands, stumbling to his feet. After days of barely any movement, he struggled to move quickly. Sans blipped to the couch so to avoid the fall. Jason walked over to the table, glaring at Hans as he grabbed the side to steady himself.

'At this point, why bother?' Hans shook his head insistently.

'No. That is not _you_ , sir. It's _him_! You are stronger than he lets you see, but if you continue to let him belittle you, you will not get anything done.'

'You don't seem to get it, do you, soldier?' Jason growled, the anger quickly leaving his voice, 'Comrade has left. I can't keep my promise. I have nothing.'

'You know that isn't true, Jay.'

A blue apparition appeared from a small wisp of static. It quickly formed into a small figure who sat on the table, quickly sharpening into focus. It... was Comrade. But... not, somehow? He was younger than Comrade, ten years old, tops. His hair was a creamy blue, swishing in the air as he moved like he was submerged underwater. His eyes were a similar colour, like a murky lake. He wore black jeans and a white shirt, a dark blue vest over the top. Large blue headphones hung around his neck, and small skates were implanted in the soles of his dark blue boots.

The boy reached out to Jason, gently patting him on the back with a patient smile. Jason cringed a little at the sight, but didn't move away from the strange double of his brother.

'Comrade will still be around. You know where he is. He has a team that will look out for him with their very lives. Just because he has a team, doesn't mean you won't be able to keep your promise.'

Jason pulled away, grumbling quietly to himself.

'I... I have work to do.'

'Jay, please! Let us hel-'

' **No** , Oliver! That's enough,' Jason shouted, shaking his head, 'I've had enough'

With that, he fled to the top of the stairs.

Sans sat on the couch, watching the two boys warily. _who are you?_ He let his magic flare up and checked the two.

 _ **Oliver**_

 _ **LV ? ATK ? DEF ? ("Personified innocence")**_

 _wait... what?_

 _ **Hans**_

 _ **LV ? ATK ? DEF ? ("Personified logic")**_

The two sighed, looking at each other. Oliver smiled, though it was strained.

'Well... that could have gone better, huh?' Hans shook his head, that stoic expression never leaving his face.

'Something else is going on here,' He muttered, a hand cupping his chin, 'I just can't figure out what it is.'

'Okay you two, go away!' Jason said as he strode down the stairs, 'I need to get a drink.'

'Captain, do you really believe that is wise?'

'Shut up, Hans! I don't need your help!' Jason snapped, waving at the man. In doing so Hans faded away, like he had only been an image on a cloud of smoke.

'But what about Blue Jay?' Oliver piped from the table, 'You can't leave him here, and you can't take him to a bar!'

Jason ignored him, instead grabbing Sans around the middle and placing him on his shoulder. His thoughts were so far away he didn't even notice the strong grip that he had used on the frail skeleton.

Jason went over to Ian's again. It was late at night, so the only ones there were those getting drunk at the bar. Jason sat heavily in an empty stool, demanding a bottle of "Silver Death Whisky". Sans could only guess it was some sort of hardcore whisky for shifters. Ian was weary of the demand and didn't grab one for him.

'You do realise that stuff not only deletes some bad memories, but will completely wipe the hard drive clean? I know from experience there! I don't think you should be having that stuff.' Jason didn't listen to his warning though, so Ian begrudgingly gave him the silver bottle.

Sans watched in amazement as he snapped off the cork and began sculling the bottle like he did with ketchup. Those around him quickly noticed and began chanting along.

'Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!'

Jason slammed the now empty bottle on the bench, smirking triumphantly.

'You okay Jason,' Ian inquired, glancing at the empty bottle with a concerned look, 'I can call someone to help you home if you'd like.'

'Fuck off Ian,' Jason snapped, rubbing at his eye as he waved his other hand dismissively, 'I'm not even feeling it. For hardcore whisky, it's really weak.'

'Well, it won't take effect immediately,' Ian muttered defensively, 'Well, can you at least tell me when you last ate so I know how much it'll effect you?'

'Eh... I dunno... few days ago, I guess?'

Ian became pale, staring at his friend in shock.

'"A few"... You haven't eaten in days and just sculled the Silver Death?' He shrieked, shaking his head, 'That's it! I'm calling Tigor! He'll get ya home safely.'

'I DON'T NEED YOUR PITY!'

The outburst made everyone stop and look at the shifter. Sans cringed away at seeing those angry red eyes. Jason took a deep breath, shakily standing to leave.

'You forgetting something?' Jason trudged back, plucking a startled skeleton off the bench and holding him in cupped hands. He slammed open the fire escape door, escaping those judging eyes through the closest door, which led to a small alley.

Once the door shut behind him, everything went downhill. The alcohol finally began to take effect, causing Jason to fall to his knees. He took deep breaths, his face tinged green. Sans tried to calm him down, petting his hand reassuringly. A small amount of magic was added, and Jason's eyes cleared a little as he stopped hyperventilating. He looked down at Sans and cocked his head, looking confused. Sans pointed at him, mimed driving, pointed to himself, and twirled his hand by his head. _You_... _drive_... _me_... _crazy_. Jason's brow furrowed at the sight. Sans continued, pointing at Jason, indicating away from the bar, and resting his head against his hands. _You_... _leave here_... _sleep_.

'Did... did you just...?'

'Well well well. Looky what we have here, boys!'

A group of five had walked up behind Jason. At the front was Dean, with Undyne's old abusive owner beside him. With the other way blocked off by a tall brick wall, Jason was trapped.

Dean stepped over to Jason, laughing at his attempt to shakily get to his feet.

'The "great Mandimal bounty hunter"... reduced to a drunken mess in a back alley,' Dean tsked, then punched Jason in the face, 'Pathetic.'

Sans groaned as he hit the ground after being dropped. He hissed in pain, trying to push himself to his feet. He yelped at a sudden sense of weightlessness. Dean had grabbed his hood and let him dangle as he stood up. Sans didn't have any organs, but he still felt as if he had left something back on the ground as he was yanked into the air. He flung out a couple of bones as he thrashed around, but with an amused chuckle Dean blocked the sorry attempt.

'I've been waiting to get my hands on you, champ.' He grinned, throwing Sans in the air and catching him in a fist. Sans whined at the pain this caused, his HP definitely in decimal places now, and tried to fight back. But he was too small. Any movement he made was insignificant to the strength of the fist that held him.

 _stars no_ , he panicked, not daring to stop his struggling, _i can't go back there! i can't play his game again. i-i just cant!_

'Get your fucking hands off him!'

Jason had gotten back on his feet, glaring at Dean. The rogue just snorted, tossing Sans again and catching him in his other hand. The action knocked out what little breath he had and made his vision swim.

'And just what are ya gonna do about it?' Dean asked mockingly, squeezing the skeleton as if to test his durability, 'You are drunk, outnumbered, and have no allies to help you.'

'...That you know of.'

'What?'

'I have no allies that you know of.' Jason repeated.

Dean's brow furrowed. Surely he was bluffing. It was common knowledge that his team had died years before, and that he had never taken on another. But his mouth was firm, his expression sharp despite the amount of alcohol he'd had. Dean's confidence about the situation began to lessen at Jason's stoic declaration.

'He's bluffing! He don't got nothin'!'

Then Jason began laughing.

The sound made Sans freeze in his desperate struggles. Jason had never made a sound like that before.

It was childish. It was joyous.

It was just like Chara.

Jason quickly quieted his giggles, only to start again at the dumbfounded looks the rogues gave him.

'Hee haha. Oh Twins... I s'really have had a lotta drink.' He slurred, trying to shake away a headache only to make himself dizzy.

Dean took a deep breath, unwilling to admit how much that laugh had unnerved him.

'A-and just _who_ would fight for you, hmm?'

'Hahaha! Oh I actually feel sorry for you lot!' Jason gushed, clapping his hands, 'But... since you're asking for it?'

As he spoke, a cloud seemed to materialise behind him. It was black, with traces of blood red. It swirled around his head as he stood straight, arms crossed as he smiled.

'You know, Dean, when you mess with the leader of a whole team,' Jason stated as the two clouds materialised on either side of him, ' _smart_ leaders call backup.'

The one on his left had scarlet hair that flickered like flames. His eyes were a similar colour, with a mischievous glint that matched his pleased grin. He wore a black leather jacket with red spikes on the shoulders over a red shirt that matched his dark jeans and boots.

The other one was a copy of Jason, but was... darker. His cloak was a deep black, the rest of his clothes a variety of greys. The clothes were tattered; a large gouge around the chest, the edges of the cloak singed, and the left sleeve was ripped off. His eyes were black pools, and his skin seemed almost fake, like he was wearing a mask. Blood leaked from the corners of his eyes, dribbled from his grinning mouth, and smudged his cheeks.

 _ **Sam**_

 _ **LV ? ATK ? DEF ? ("Personified Rage")**_

 _ **Adrian**_

 _ **LV ? ATK ? DEF ? ("Personified Insanity")**_

 _what...? what is with these things?_

'Sam, Adrian,' Jason muttered, smirking, 'You're off the leash.'

Sam's grin widened. Adrian began cackling, his hands circling like he was wrapping string. Then there was a shimmer, and in his hands was a long rope with a sharp blade at the end. Sam acted as if he were twirling something, and a wire covered bat appeared in his hand.

'Y-you can't hurt us, Oak!' One of the Verten's in the group shouted, eyes wide, 'T-the Treaty prohibits that!'

'Yes... Yes it does.' Sam said, twirling the bat again.

'It's a good thing neither of us are Oaks, then, right?' Adrian giggled.

Sam had the rogue tattoo.

...Adrian had the Verten tattoo.

There was a flash of movement as the two charged. Sans cried out as Dean was knocked down, releasing him to fall. But before he could hit the ground – with only 0.1 HP, it would have dusted him for sure – he landed in Jason's cupped hands.

There were screams. The sound of skulls caving in. The squelching sound of a blade slicing through flesh. Jason's hands were held up to prohibit Sans from witnessing the scene, but the shifter's hard gaze never left it. Small splatters of blood landed on his face, and he barely blinked. Sans looked up at Jason, looking through to his soul.

 _ **Jason**_

 _ **LV 18 ATK 300 DEF 200 ("No second chances")**_

The sounds gradually lessened as the group fell. A strong scent had tainted the air. Sans shivered. He remembered that smell from every time he'd dunked Chara in Judgement Hall. It was not something he enjoyed.

'Okay... let's go home.' Jason sighed, stepping over the bodies. Sans shivered, glad he was saved from having to see the mess that pure rage and insanity had caused. But now there was a new dilemma.

Now Sans knew exactly what Jason could do.

And it terrified him.

* * *

The five bodies lay bleeding, mutilated, and still. When Jason let loose his boys, there were never any witnesses. Their existence had to be kept carefully hidden. They made sure that there were none to tell of what had happened. Dead men tell no tales, after all.

But, as Jason left the bloody scene, one of the bodies twitched.

* * *

 **So, what Sans is doing in this chapter is sharing his magic with Jason. In doing so, he is able to calm him down. Monster magic has a calming effect on humans/shifters, as well as other effects (which will be further explored very soon).**

 **And can anyone guess what this "reminder" is that Comrade has to live with? :P**

 **Hope you enjoyed.**


	24. Monster Ring

'Alright gents! Place your bets here! Boy, do we have a show for you this evening!'

Jetstone smirked from where he watched above. There was a large gathering tonight, and everyone was eagerly waiting for the "contestants".

'First up, the challenger: Tryon!'

A small serpent-like creature was thrown into the ring, looking around frightfully. Large antlers - once majestic, now snapped off to be made sharp - sat atop its head, and it stood about four inches tall.

'Next up, we have... Flowey!'

When the happy little sunflower popped out of the ground, most of the gamblers began laughing. They quickly began betting on the first monster, even though the flower was calm opposed to the serpents quiet fearful sniveling. The flowers happy face faltered into a scowl for a moment, but was quickly replaced with a gleeful giggle.

 _Idiots_ , Jetstone thought, _never judge someone by their looks. They may hold a nasty surprise._

Jetstone hadn't bothered to shrink the soulless creature when he collected it. It stood a little taller than the serpent, who once would have towered over the flower.

'Okay, the betting pool is shut. Contestants, get ready... FIGHT!'

Tyron looked around, startled as a FIGHT was initiated. He looked pleadingly to Flowey.

'P-please... I don't want to fight. I-I _won't_ fight!' He declared, earning some boo's from the crowd.

SPARE

'You spared me? That's fantastic!' Flowey chirped, face morphing into a demonic expression, 'That will make this _so_ much easier!'

The monster was flung back, having been hit with a large thorny vine. The weight of it pinned the startled and hurt serpent. He cried out in pain, struggling under the appendage. Flowey would release the monster at times, letting him run before pinning him again with a new attack. A cruel little game of cat and mouse, as the monster dodged and refused to fight back.

'Please! Please, I-I don't want to fight! You don't have to do this!'

'You idiot! In this world, it's kill, or BE KILLED!' Flower sneered, letting a torrent of "friendliness pellets" fall on the monster like acid rain.

'Time out!' The referee called, now looking up at Jetstone's loft, 'What say you? Spare, or Fight?'

Jetstone looked down at the whimpering monster. It looked up, teary eyed, with hardly any hit points remaining. Pleading eyes met his own.

'Spare him. Please!'

Ignoring that pesky little voice, Jetstone gave a thumbs down. Flowey began cackling.

'No, please-'

'Idiot.' With a twitch of the vine, there was nothing but a pile of dust.

'How could you?'

Jetstone looked back, where he had hung an old birdcage by his desk. A tiny face looked out at him, tears streaking the tanned little face.

'Don't know what you mean.' He grinned, walking back to his desk.

'Y-yo... you know _exactly_ what they mean!... y-you big turd!'

'Hey now, that's a little rude, don't you think?' Jetstone said, eyes hardening to a deep red, 'You remember what happened last time you were rude to me?' The armless monster child cowered back, the human child wrapping their arms around him protectively.

'Y-you won't get away with this!' They cried defiantly. Jetstone smirked, grabbing the cage and pulling it closer. The cage tilted slightly, jarring the two prisoners. They looked up at him with varied measures of fright, weariness and anger, which made his grin widen.

'Frisk, child...' He purred, 'I have been getting away with this for months... and there is nothing you can do about it.' He released the cage, watching with a pleased smirk as it swung back, sending the children sprawling.

'Why are you doing this?'

'Why? I'm bored. With this peace, there has been nothing fun for us to do. But keeping this operation hidden from the Mandimals?' He said, sitting in his chair and leaning back, feet on the desk and arms crossed smugly, 'This whole operation is right up my alley.'

The door slammed open, earning an annoyed sigh from the Verten leader. He looked up at Gears, who stood panting at the door. He opened his mouth to speak, but paused when he noticed Jetstone's irritated look. He backtracked, shutting the door behind was a quick, annoyed knock.

' _Now_ you may come in.'

Gears busted in again, rushing to his superiors side. He held out a small tablet.

'UK just updated me. There is a new development in the monster program.'

'Let me see.' Jetstone read over the notes of the report. First he seemed skeptical, but as the information began to sink in, he grinned.

'If he can truly do this,' He said, laughing, 'then we may have a new way to better our soldiers.'

He then glanced at the two tiny prisoners. Frisk was trying to read over his shoulder. He made a mental note to do something about that later.

'Let's continue this elsewhere.' He instructed, quickly leading Gears out of the room.

'So,' Gears grinned, 'where do we start?'

* * *

Frisk watched as Jetstone left the room, glaring angrily. **_It's guys like him that make me want to erase this world, ya know._ ** Frisk ignored Chara's comment, taking deep breaths to calm down. They couldn't shift into a genocide mental state... not with Monster Kid by their side.

'Do you think we'll ever get out of here, Frisk?'

Frisk looked down at Monster Kid, frowning. He looked so scared, huddled in the corner of the rusted little cage. No one deserved to be locked up like this. It was one of the things that drove the child to free the monsters in the first place...

 _Only for them to be trapped in a worse fate_ , they thought.

'I... I'm so so sorry!' They sobbed, hands wiping at the tears that suddenly flowed, 'It's all my fault!' Monster Kid sat up, startled by the display, before nudging them with his nose.

'Dude, it's _not_ your fault!' He insisted, sliding closer to offer comfort. Frisk sniffed, looking down at their friend.

And at an ugly scar across his chest.

The Treaty made Jetstone unable to harm humans, they knew that. Frisk had been confident they could use that to their advantage, and attempted an escape. If they could tell someone, they'd be able to help the shrunken monsters.

But Jetstone was nothing if not creative in his punishments.

When he caught Frisk, he'd been furious, both at the attempt and at knowing he couldn't punish them in the traditional way. But that didn't stop him. He sat them down in their cage, and brought in a small group of monsters, all part of the "useless" category. They were mostly moldsmal's and whimsun's. They were all harmless and frightened monsters. They were "defects", unwanted and cast aside as merchandise.

In his eyes, they were expendable.

He dusted them all to get his point across.

The sight had struck them like a knife, knowing innocent monsters had been dusted because of them. They'd sobbed as each one was taken out of a box, slashed to dust. They looked away, not wanted to watch.

Until they heard a familiar voice.

Monster Kid!

Jetstone slashed at Monster Kid, but he'd survived the attack, if barely. Jetstone raised a fist, ready to render the monster as nothing but a smear across the desk.

Frisk had begged the Verten to leave him alone. After a moment of thought, he'd plucked the injured monster up, dangling him in front of the cage.

'Let this be a reminder next time you try to run,' He'd snapped before dumping Monster Kid into the cage with them, 'If you try a repeat attempt, I won't hesitate to terminate your little friend.'

The scar was a constant reminder to the pain that Frisk had indisputably caused to those they'd tried to free.

Monster Kid nuzzled his friend, smiling fondly when they blinked out of their self-loathing moment.

'Dude, you're not responsible for this. _They_ are,' He insisted wholeheartedly, 'All you have ever done is be kind and help others. Never feel bad about that. There is nothing you could have done about it.'

 _But there_ was _something I could do_ , Frisk thought sullenly.

They reached out to their save file. They tried to reset, to undo all the damage that had been caused.

Nothing. **_Again._**

With a sigh, Frisk leaned into Monster Kid, getting comfortable on the cold hard surface.

'Kid,' They said, earning a hum from the monster, 'Thanks... I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you with me.'

Knowing that, despite the horrid situation, that they had a friend who still believed in them...

It filled Frisk with DETERMINATION.


	25. Meltdown

**I am _so_ sorry for the wait, guys! I've been busy, and this chapter proved to be a challenge to finish. Could _not_ find the words to get through this one for the _longest_ time.**

 **Oh, Pastamagic and Charasmatic,** **please** **don't worry. I don't plan on discontinuing this story. Its too much fun to ever do that. I'm going to get through this right to the end, so don't worry.**

 **The next chapter may take a little while to get through (though hopefully not 3 damn months again), so if I don't post soon, don't panic, I _will_ be posting eventually. **

**Hope you guys like this chapter, but be warned, its a doozy ;)**

* * *

Jason groggily woke up to a pounding headache. He slowly sat up, feeling his stomach lurch at the slight movement. Bile stung his throat, and there was a foul scent clinging to him. _Hangover_ , he wearily thought, _haven't had one of_ those _in a while._

Through his slowly processing loading screen of a mind, he could tell something was wrong. There was a sharp pain across one half of his face, and he felt mentally and physically exhausted. _What did I_ do _last night?_ He frowned, trying to sort through his night to figure out the cause.

… He couldn't remember _anything_!

 _Ya sculled an entire bottle of Silver Death chief... pretty fuckin' hardcore, actually._

Oh. That made sense. No wonder he felt like crap.

But there was a nagging feeling... He felt like something important had happened... but what?

He tried flicking through his memories again, trying to make sense of the fuzzed fragments that remained. A colour here, a voice there. He saw a flickering image of Blue Jay flinging his arms around, and...

Blood.

'Oh Hydra tell me I'm wrong!' He gasped out, flailing from the couch as he tried to get to his feet. His vision swam slightly in tune with the intensified pounding pain in his head. He held up his wrist, tapping his watch to bring up a holographic screen. He signed into the system and checked the case feed, praying there was nothing too horrible reported.

 **"Four found dead outside of Ian's Place"**

Jason felt sick again, but it wasn't due to the lingering effects of alcohol.

'Oh Twins... what have I done now?'

 _Someone did a bad,_ Adrian sang smugly.

'S-surely it wasn't that bad,' Jason reasoned, 'Right?'

 _Blue Jay thinks it was..._

Jason blinked, looking around the room. The skeleton was crouching behind a table leg, watching him wearily. His eye sockets were wider than normal, and when Jason looked over they flicked off ominously. He'd only ever seen the skeleton do that in the presence of a Verten. He followed Blue Jay's line of sight to see he was staring at the fair amount of blood sprinkled across his shirt.

 _I am sssooooo dead!_

He took deep breaths, that ache in his chest no longer a dull sound in the background. His face was heating up, and his nerves wound up tight. He felt like getting into a fight. No, he _needed_ to get into a fight! He had to get this out of his system!

Before it escalated further, and he hurt someone else.

* * *

Sans had watched as Jason sprung around the house, despite having a massive hangover. He huddled behind the leg of wood, trying to observe the shifter, but at the same time stay out of his immediate line of sight.

A killer. This whole time he'd been living with a _killer_. _how could I have not seen that coming? i'd seen the weapons, the ease in which he fights,_ everything _!_ Really, it should have been obvious. The kid was a soldier, after all. In a _war_. At some point, he had to have killed someone.

So absorbed in his thoughts, Sans didn't notice when Jason stepped over to him. A shadow fell over him, and with a start he realised Jason was about to grab him. He moved to teleport away, but smashed into a violet shield. Breaths becoming laboured, he fearfully resigned himself to being picked up. Large digits grazed his form, causing an involuntary shudder.

Once outside of the shield bubble, he began thrashing around. Deep down, he knew it was illogical. He'd known Jason for months now, and he'd never intentionally hurt him. But knowing his LV... it scared him. So close to twenty... to being able to destroy the timeline.

And this time, there was no chance of a RESET.

* * *

Jason frowned at the unsettling display of fear from the monster. He couldn't help but wonder what had happened to cause his monster to become so skittish in his hand, and the possibilities scared him. With a slightly annoyed, but moreso remorseful, sigh, he realised it would be irresponsible to place the skeleton on his shoulder, as he had done in the past. In his state of hysteria, he could fall and get hurt. Jason opened up a pocket on his shirt, gently sliding the monster inside. He apologised profusely as the panicked monster fell to the bottom, then left for the school.

Once there, he caught an elevator to one of the underground levels. They were mostly work stations, built separately from the school above so to keep the students safe. It was easier to lock down if something went amiss, and the familiar smell of earth made most of the techno's and telepath's that worked there feel calmer and more at home at their stations.

He stopped at a large warehouse area, filled with screens and work benches covered in half-built machines. Jason strode through the small pathways between worktables, stopping by a large contraption with a door. The screen and panel beside it were dark and deactivated. He walked over, turning the device on. He reached into his pocket, gently scooping up a thrashing skeleton.

'What do you think you're doing in here?'

* * *

S quieted down slightly as Jason moved. The thick fabric closed in around him, making it difficult to breath the muggy air. He curled up, trying to keep calm in his panicked state. _calm down_ , he thought, breathing in, holding it, and out.

It didn't really help.

After some time, fingers began to slip into Sans' little hammock. He gasped, trying to jump away from the probing digits, but couldn't find any purchase on the shifting fabric. Fingers bigger than him nudged him into the shifters palm, dragging him out into the open.

'What do you think you're doing in here?'

Sans looked up at the speaker, finding a young man in a green shirt, a dirty grey lab coat in his arms. His brown hair was a bit tussled, and a tiny shading had formed under his eyes. Those clear green eyes sparkled when he realised who was in the lab – Sans would recognise one anywhere – and he bounded forward with the enthusiasm of a child.

'Jason! Well, what brings you down in my little burrow?' The boy asked cheerfully, rushing to Jason's side.

'I need to use the Simulator.' Jason muttered, watching as the screen flare to life with the insignia of a rat silhouette on a dark green backdrop. The boy frowned, looking between the machine and Jason.

'How come?' He inquired. Jason sighed angrily, placing Sans on the panel for the machine.

'I... I just need to do something.' He stated lamely. The boy raised an eyebrow, suddenly seeming older and more authoritative.

'Why don't you do something with everyone else? We have sparring matches for a reason.'

'Cause I might kill 'em!' Jason snapped, rubbing his hand across his face, 'Ratap, _please_! I need to fight something, but I'm scared I might kill someone if I try to spar!'

Ratap paused for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought. His eyes drifted down to Sans, who watched Jason warily. He sighed, moving over to the panel and pressing a bunch of buttons.

'What setting?'

'Thirteen.'

He paused at a dial, shooting a concerned look to Jason as he waited at the door.

'The hardest mode, huh?' He laughed humorously, 'Not even _Ashley_ has been able to do that yet, you know.'

Something beeped, and Jason opened the door, stepping inside. A camera switched on, showing him in a padded white room. He stopped in the middle, staring right at the camera.

'Give me a challenge, Rat.'

Ratap paused a moment, hands hovering over a keyboard. He then began to type furiously. Gears began to whirl, and the room melted away into a forest setting. Jason looked around for a moment, pulling out his bow as he began moving.

Sans ignored Ratap as he curiously looked him over. The look in his eyes made him uncomfortable. It wasn't just the childish curiosity, but... there was a dark glint there he remembered from the old verten scientist... a scientific curiosity that was much more dangerous for him.

He flinched slightly as a finger gently rolled down his skull and spine.

'Monsters are weird,' Ratap mused to himself, smiling down at the shivering skeleton, 'I still don't really understand how some of you can exist like you do. What we _do_ know is so vague and incomplete... most don't care about the lack of information, but it's driving me nuts.'

Sans held out an arm, roughly pushing the finger away from him. Ratap looked surprised by the unexpected movement, then snickered as he moved the hand away.

'I still can't believe he got an actual skeleton. Kinda appropriate, I suppose.' He said, his smile faltering slightly, 'I wonder if he'll ever get over that.'

He looked up at the screen. Jason was scouting out an army camp, keeping hidden in the green foliage of the trees. Sans watched as the cloak seemed to shimmer a bit, easily hiding him in the trees. If he didn't know exactly where he was, Sans would not have seen him. Ratap smirked, quickly typing something in.

 _Crack!_

Jason yelped as the branch he stood on snapped off the tree in a loud shower of splinters and noise. The soldiers closest began moving towards the noise, but he'd already disappeared into the foliage again.

'Sneaky bugger.'

Ratap then gasped, looking down at his shirt. He grimaced slightly.

'Ah geeze. Sorry, Data,' He said, his hand hovering over the small moving lump in his shirt pocket, 'Sorry... You were so quiet I forgot you were there.'

Sans watched as the boy pulled out a small yellow monster. She was yawning quietly, which incited an "aww" from the shifter before he set her down. She looked around curiously, but froze when she saw Sans. Her mouth opened and shut, and she rushed to his side.

 _'W-what are y-you doing here, Sans?'_ Alphys asked, causing the skeleton to smile. As she signed, her hands twitched slightly, though she didn't seem to notice. Even if she couldn't speak, she _still_ found a way to stutter.

 _'shifter decided to drag me along.'_ He signed, nodding to the screen.

 _'oh... J-jason, r-right? U-undyne said he was c-cool...'_ She signed back.

Sans looked up in time to notice the thoughtful frown on the young shifters' face as he observed the two. Sans gulped, looking away. Ratap bent down so he was more on their level, examining both monsters thoroughly.

'What are you two doing?' He asked, his head cocked to the side.

Sans looked up at him, his hand clenching with uncertainty. He had thought about this before... trying to communicate with the shifters. Time being "processed" for sale had taught the monsters that trying to communicate would result in dusting... and for a long time Sans was afraid to try it. He didn't just have himself to worry about, but also Papyrus. The only one he had felt comfortable with had been Jason, and it seemed his attempts at communication the night before had fallen on deaf ears. Jason had not acknowledged his small act of charades.

Maybe, it was time to try it with someone else while their attention was on him.

He sat up, trying to think of something to communicate... a "hi", maybe?

But a door opened, and his chance was gone.

Lenny strode in, rushing up to Ratap. She proceeded to grab him in a headlock, kissing him on the cheek.

'What 'cha doing, Rat?' She asked, ruffling his hair. He whined, glaring at her as he began to try and straighten it out.

'Jason's having a session.' He explained as she gently collected Undyne from her shoulder, letting her hop off beside the other monsters.

'Well, looks like he's having a good time,' She said, her smile faltering, 'What level is he on?'

'Thirteen... why?' Ratap turned to the screen.

Jason had abandoned a stealthy approach and now strode into the middle of the army. A few hundred soldiers grabbed their swords and axes, charging him. Arrows bombarded his form from above.

Not one of them actually touched him.

The arrows bounced off a purple bubble, as did the other weapons. Only one or two opponents were able to breach the bubble, and only because Jason allowed it for close combat. He held up his bow, holding it like a staff and blocking any attacks. The thin stick was deceptively strong, barely budging with each powerful attack. When the opponent was off balance, Jason would thrust his bow out, the string slicing into their armour like cheese. Then a new aggressor would take his place, just to be cut down again. His movements were so quick, and strong, and no opponent stood a chance.

 _'That's so cool!'_ Undyne signed excitedly.

'That's not right,' Lenny muttered, stepping closer to the screen, 'This is supposed to be the hardest level. Why is he getting through it so quick?' She began typing, and the army acted accordingly. The attire changed from something similar to Jason to a more modern military uniform. The bows morphed into assault rifles, bombarding Jason's shield more fiercely. The cavalry changed, now riding motorbikes and military vehicles. The fighting style changed, the opponents becoming bigger, more buff, and fast. Jason's small stature made him look like a child by their side, now faced with a more creditable enemy.

And he grinned at the challenge.

The purple eye continued to flare, but now a grey one was added to the other eye. The vehicles shuddered, suddenly turning against their drivers. They drove through the ranks, knocking down dozens of soldiers.

'He's using two abilities now,' Lenny muttered, 'He'll tire soon enough.'

But five minutes passed, and Jason showed no indication of tiring. Lenny and Ratap began to get worried after ten minutes of continuous fighting.

'How does he have so much energy?' Ratap asked, shaking his head in awe.

'Even for a master, this is ridiculous!' Lenny muttered, turning to Ratap, 'Can you bring up the medical scan? I think something's wrong.'

Ratap quickly began typing, and one of the screens changed to a medical report, an image of Jason's spark on one side. The monsters gasped at the site of it. It was dull, cracked around the edges. It was pulsing in irregular intervals, and licks of electricity were sparking out of it dangerously.

 _'M-my god... it l-l-looks like its g-going to e-explode!'_

The shifters paled when they read the notes beside it.

'H-he's having a Meltdown.' Ratap whispered, his voice thick with fear.

'A what?' Lenny demanded, but Ratap was typing again.

'Call Ashley! NOW! We need to stop this before it gets worse!' He shouted, pounding the keys in his fear induced haste. Lenny quickly got in contact through her earpiece while Ratap tripled the assault on Jason. He was overwhelmed, hidden beneath an onslaught of eager enemies.

A few moments later, Ashley busted through the door. She rushed to their side, looking worried. Tigor was close behind, rushing to hold Lenny, who was beginning to hyperventilate. He held her close, rubbing her back as he whispered soothing nothings in her ear.

'What's going on?' Ashley asked, glancing at the medical image.

'Jason is having a Meltdown!' Ratap said. Tigor froze.

'What?!' He demanded, his grip tightening protectively around his bondmate.

'What's a "Meltdown"?' Ashley asked.

'Jason's stressed and in pain. His body's thinking he's in a battle and is producing more enjion to counter it. But, since he's not using that energy, it has nowhere to go, and has just been building and building until he finally can't take it anymore and shuts down.' Ratap quickly explained. Ashley sighed, shaking her head.

'That's not the end of it, either,' Tigor muttered, 'When a Meltdown takes effect, the victim not only dies, but sends out a shockwave that kills those too close. The more powerful they are, the bigger the radius will be.'

'The original Assassin...' She muttered, her face paling, 'He could destroy the entire Community.'

'Why didn't anyone pick up on this earlier?!' Lenny yelled, eyes wide with fright. The three monsters huddled together, flinching at the raised voices.

'Ashley, what's going on down here?' Darkscream ran in, his hand over his spark while his face twisted in pain, 'Why are you so worked up? What's wrong?'

'Meltdown.' Tigor muttered in response.

'How do we fix it?' Ashley asked.

'He needs to lose all that excess energy. Using his abilities like he has been would help, but–'

There was a scream from the screen. They all looked and saw a sea of army men, each impaled by a sharp bar of purple. Jason sat in the middle, a purple aura surrounding both his hands as he struck every enemy around him. He let them all fall, then screamed.

'I'M NOT FUCKING THROUGH YET!'

'The simulators not gonna be enough.' Ashley said. She thought quickly, then turned to the others.

'He needs to lose some energy, then Joanna can help him, right?' She asked Ratap.

'Well, yeah, but I don't think even _you_ could–'

'Good enough!' She said, grabbing the handle, 'You three! Get in. I'm going to need help with this.' And with that, she stepped into the machine. Darkscream didn't hesitate, rushing after. Tigor and Lenny shared a look, nodded, and followed.

Sans took a deep breath, stepping forward to see the screen better. The four friends stopped in front of Jason, who was breathing erratically as he faced them.

'Jason, I need you to try and calm down,' Ashley said, stepping forward with her arms held up in surrender, 'We just want to help.'

'I don't want your help.' He snarled, eyes red. Sparks began licking at his skin ominously. Ashley frowned.

'Alright then,' She muttered sadly, 'You asked for it.'

The four transformed. They each looked similar to their old forms, the clothes a similar style but more form fitting and all black. They each had a unique mark on their sleeve. Darkscream a soaring bat; Tigor an orange claw mark; Lenny a soaring bird of prey; Ashley a blue moon. Each had a mark that complemented their personality and past.

Jason snorted, three forms appearing by his side. Hans, Sam and Adrian. Oliver was strangely absent from the group.

'That's not very fair, is it?' He asked, transforming.

This was the first time Sans had ever seen Jason in this form. His clothes were still the same, but more grey than the other originals. His cloak shimmered for a moment, switching from brown, to a sandy cream, to black, and to white, before settling on green so to match the environment. Sans stared at the mark on his sleeve for a moment. Two bones, criss-crossed. A cloth mask covered his mouth and nose, black with white marks to show a freaky grinning skeleton mouth. He twirled his bow in hand. The wood was now starch white, the edges splintered to give the look of a broken bone. When he held it up, the bowstring sizzled and glowed green, like a lazer. The hand holding the string was gloved, and if it had been fingerless like the other, it would have sliced through him. Sam's bat was now a barbed femur. Adrian now held a large scythe, a long bone with a huge blade that was dripping a black liquid. Hans used a bone as long as he was as a staff, the end snapped off to make a sharp tip. Everything about this shifter was related to death and skeletons. _now it makes sense why everyone thought i was appropriate for him_ , Sans thought.

The shifters began to fight. Darkscream with Sam, Tigor with Hans, Lenny with Adrian, and Ashley with Jason. Each part of Jason began to use an ability, though Sans was unsure of which ones they used.

He was watching Jason, who's eyes were clouded with anger. He moved forward, holding the wood – bone? – of his weapon so to slice at Ashley with the lazer. She simply stepped back, never reaching for any of her weapons. The more she dodged, the more effort Jason put into reaching her. She'd just spin out of the way, making an effort to seem flashy and haughty. At one point she paused, laughing as she made a rude gesture and continued to skip and spin around him. His eyes flared, and he cried a mighty roar as he charged.

 _'She's doing it on purpose,'_ Undyne signed excitedly, _'She's pissing off her opponent so he uses up all his energy!'_

Sans quickly assessed the situation. The other three boys were continuously using their abilities, moving lightning fast in their mini-battles. They seemed to get this energy from Jason himself, and as he used it himself, there was less for them. Their forms faltered, like a flickering image. None of them seemed aware of the problem, and they continued to fight on. But even with this, Jason was still sparking like broken wire. There was just too much power being produced at once.

'Ashley, even you can't hold that amount of enjion.' Ratap muttered, eyes never leaving the screen.

Then Jason changed his approach. He removed one hand from the bow, feigning a stab at Ashley. As she was distracted by that, his free hand moved in a flash, pulling out a knife and throwing it at her.

Ashley froze, a look of surprise on her face. Ratap gasped, eyes wide in shock. Ashley groaned in pain as her mind caught up with the sudden wound in her chest. She chuckled humorlessly, her hand reaching to the blade, but not touching.

'Nice... s-shot...' She fell to her knees, eyes staring down at the blade. She coughed, the sound frightfully wet, getting the attention of the others.

'ASHLEY!' Darkscream screamed, trying to rush to her, but Sam smashed him in the face, knocking him down. Ashley just knelt, defeated, dragging in gasping, painful breaths. Sans shivered at the sound. It sounded like a punctured lung.

Jason strode over to Ashley, oblivious to how the other three tried to rush to her side. He grabbed the blade, roughly yanking it out. He stared down, eyes nothing but red, now starting to focus and drain of the colour. The enraged look slowly shifted into shock as he stared down at the blade in his hand.

'Oh Twins...' He dropped the knife, his hand trembling, 'Oh Twins, no!'

Then Ashley lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Jason as she moved behind him. She held him down, one hand spread open over his spark. Her eye erupted in a light blue flame, and Jason's spark began to glow underneath her hand. Sparks of blue electricity traveled out of his form to her hand, spreading over her body. A glow concentrated on her wound, and it began stitching itself back together. Jason struggled in a panic, withering in discomfort, before his struggles lessened. His boys froze, turning back to watch. Jason became limp, the dangerous sparking halting and, with no energy to sustain them, the boys flickered out of existence.

Ashley stopped using her ability, now hugging Jason. She sighed, looking down at him.

'Your not taking Comrade's moving very well, huh?' He sobbed, face pale from being drained. The three originals, red eyed, stepped forward, but Ashley waved them off.

'I... I'm so... s-sorry.' Jason breathed passed his hiccuped sobs. Ashley just smiled, helping him to his feet.

'Don't worry 'bout it. I got too cocky there; I was practically asking for it.' She dismissed, keeping her arms around him as he nearly collapsed. Darkscream, after a moment of hesitation, wrapped Jason's arm around his shoulder, baring most of his weight.

'But...' Jason mumbled as he was led out of the machine, 'Ashley... I almost _killed_ you!'

'You almost killed the entire Community, Jason,' Tigor grunted, rolling his eyes, 'One more wasn't going to matter.' Lenny proceeded to elbow him painfully in the ribs, casting him a quick bitchface at his bluntness. Jason's expression morphed into one of shock and horror.

'W-what?!' He gasped, his voice cracking slightly. Ashley patted his cheek.

'Later. First, we need to get you to Joanna to fix this.' She instructed, trying to lead him away. But he flinched back, hyperventilating.

'No! W-what did I do? I-I don't even... I... What did I do? _What is wrong with me?!_ ' He panicked, screaming at the end.

The three monsters became uncomfortable, practically feeling Jason's soul clench and twist. Sans hesitated, halfway between standing and remaining seated. But when Jason began crying again, he couldn't take it. _fuck it_ , he thought. He blipped onto Jason's shoulder, patting his cheek. After being drained of so much energy, he was scarily pale, and cold to the touch. Jason flinched at Sans' arrival, looking back at him. Sans smiled as encouragingly as he could, resting his skull against the wet cheek. He poured his magic into him, offering all the condolences and calming thoughts he could. Jason stilled, taking a deep breath. The tears stopped, and his breathing evened out. _success!_ The shifters stared in shock at the drastic change.

Ashley then shook her head, gently taking Jason's hand.

'We'll go over what happened later. For now, we need to make sure your okay. Just a quick trip to the medbay.' Jason paused, gently rubbing Sans' skull as he continued to calm.

'Okay then,' He said, letting himself be led away, 'Lets do that.'


	26. Spaghetti Puns

**Authors Note**

 **Sorry it took so long guys. But I'm back now! :D**

 **Okay, Pastamgic, please don't apologize for your questions, okay? It's honestly nice to have people interested enough to ask me about my world and characters. I appreciate it.**

 **So, for your first question: how old are Comrade and Jason?**

 **There's two answers to this. Are you asking how old they were when they were _turned_ , or how old they _truly_ are? When a Shifter is created, they are often "stuck" in the mindset of their age when turned. So, someone could be fifty, but continue to think and act like the teen they appear to be. The fact that they don't physically age doesn't help (especially when you're an adult who wants a drink but looks twelve :P ) Comrade was thirteen when he was turned, and he is about fourteen, almost fifteen in the story. Jason, however, is much older. He was seventeen when he was turned, but in reality is actually thirty-one. That will be elaborated on later in the story.**

 **Your second question: Did Frisk do a Genocide run before Pacifist?**

 **Yep. I wanted Frisk to parallel the shifters, in the sense that there was very little control over their actions at times. This is a painful, but inevitable truth that every shifter has to learn and accept. At the beginning, Frisk did a number of Neutral runs, only killing threats in fear of being hurt. As time went on and they discovered the RESET option, they grew to care and understand the monsters. They began to try and fix the problems they caused when lashing out in fear by going through the timeline again to get the better ending: the Pacifist ending. However, even when they _did_ get that ending, the world continued to RESET, even if they didn't want it to (because there was a third party that messed with this, but more on that later ;) (the same third party _may_ be responsible for the lack of resets now)) Some resets, Frisk was in control. Others, it was Chara. Sometimes Chara would take over in the middle, and sometimes Frisk would regain control again. It wasn't very nice for a particular skeleton, that's for sure XD (poor Sans).**

 **And for your final question: Where's Asgore?**

 **He may or may not be coming into the story in the near future ;). He _also_ may or may not attempt communication, only for something to distract the shifters from realizing it. AGAIN! ;P But don't worry, he's coming in the next chapter. **

* * *

The shifters watched as Ashley led Jason out. They were silent, simply looking at each other as they each took a moment to settle down after the stressful events.

'Whelp, it's official,' Darkscream declared, 'I hate the kid now!'

'No you don't.' Lenny shot back, rolling her eyes.

'He would have killed her if she didn't absorb all that enjion!'

'First off, he was in bloodlust. No control. Second,' Tigor muttered, shooting him a challenging look, 'you don't hate _me_ , and I tried to murder her on _multiple_ occasions when we first met.'

'Yeah, well... you're just a paranoid bastard, always have been!' Darkscream pouted.

'And really, who else will _ever_ tolerate your jokes and pranks like he does?' Lenny asked.

'Or match your vehemence with puns?' Ratap added.

'Oh yeah, just everyone gang up on me, why don't 'cha?' Darkscream whined, but the barely concealed grin betrayed his good humored banter.

They then paused, looking back to the door.

'Any idea what Blue Jay did there, Rat?' Lenny asked, but he was already shaking his head.

'I'm afraid I can't say. I've never encountered anything like it before.'

'I've never seen Jason calm down so quickly, either.' Tigor murmured. They glanced at the two remaining monsters, who sat together, the fish monster practically draping the red dinosaur monster over her lap. Was Data _flustered_?

'We really don't know anything about these guys, do we?' Darkscream asked.

 **'And I want that to change.'**

The friends sat straighter, switching to their internal comm. links in order to incorporate their missing member into the conversation.

 **'What do you have in mind?'** Tigor asked.

 **'Ratap, Lenny, I'm giving you extra funding in order to conduct your own research on monsters. Do what you must; I want to know _exactly_ what the Bolts have been keeping from us!'**

 **'Oh, so they're _Bolts_ now, are they?'** Darkscream chided. Ashley paused.

 **' _Ex_ -Bolts,'** She amended, **'Shut up!'**

 **'For now, we should keep this between the team. We don't know what we'll find, and we don't want the _ex_ -bolts to suspect we're up to something.'** Tigor suggested seriously.

 **'Locking up the Burrow, check!'** Lenny noted, grabbing Ratap and Tigor to drag them further into the lab, towards the heart they called the "Burrow".

 **'Scream, I'm gonna need your help while they work on that. We got _another_ problem to deal with.'**

Darkscream paused when he felt a string of emotions through their bond. Worry was the main emotion, overbearingly so. There was also annoyance, linked to a phantom feeling of great pain. Darkscream's anger flared up for a moment, but it quickly became draining, so he dismissed it. Tigor was right. Jason had had no real intent to hurt her, so he didn't deserve to be hated for his actions.

He already blamed himself for so much...

But then there was a flare of excitement, laced with a fair amount of anticipation. And a little bit of guilty mischief. Darkscream grinned, already knowing what she was asking him to do. After all, he was the best at setting these things up.

 **'Should I get some drinks?'** He inquired over a more private channel, already leaving the lab to get started.

 **'Up to you,'** Ashley stated, her attention split between their conversation and canceling plans, ** 'Just keep it small. He still gets worked up in large crowds.'**

 **'It'll just be us and C.'** Darkscream promised.

 _It's a real shame, though,_ he thought, _that kid used to be the life of the party._

* * *

Jason was sullen as Ashley led him back home. Sans sat on his shoulder, a hand on his neck to both stabilize his perch and to keep a constant calming contact with the shifter. Using his magic to calm Jason had tired him out, but just keeping physical contact seemed to keep him calm for now. But it wasn't that Jason was sad. At least, not entirely. He seemed to be in deep thought. His expression was more serious than Sans had ever seen. Occasionally his eyes would flash to... one of the other colors. But it wasn't erratic and dangerous like it had the days before. It was more like the first day they'd met, when he had decided on a name for Sans. Like he was having an internal discussion with the others. Sans hoped it was going well.

They finally made it to the house. The windows were blocked with thick dark curtains. The walls seemed dirtier than the others, the grass slightly overgrown. The place really matched Jason's state of mind from the past few days; decrepit and neglected. And it was too big, in Sans' opinion. The houses were meant to hold entire groups of shifters. The building should have housed almost a dozen individuals, but now it only housed Jason and Sans. He frowned, wondering why Jason stayed in a house too big for him.

Were... were there others who were meant to live there, too? And if so... Where were they?

Ashley stepped forward to unlock the door, holding it open for her fellow shifter. Jason walked forward numbly, not seeming to truly notice where he was. The room seemed darker than usual. Sans shivered, curling into the crevice between the shifters neck and shoulder.

 _Wait_ , he thought, looking around suspiciously, _what was that delicious smell?_

'SURPRISE!'

Jason yelped, falling backwards at the shout. With a quiet _oof_ , he collapsed at the doorway, staring wide-eyed. Sans yelped, clinging to the fabric and barely keeping himself from being thrown off. The lights flicked on, illuminating the whole room. The table had been moved into the middle, covered in plates and boxes of various board games. Ashley smirked, turning away and failing to hide her muffled laugh. Darkscream stood at the table, grinning broadly, while Comrade was chuckling from the kitchen. Sans beamed when he spotted Papyrus on the table, waving enthusiastically.

Jason was still for a moment, eyes flickering between the other shifters. He then glared at Ashley.

'You!' He ground out, more exasperated than angry, 'You've been planning this the whole time, haven't you?!'

'Maaaybe.' She muttered, smiling smugly.

'She's been looking forward to this _all_ afternoon, dude!' Darkscream laughed, leaning against the table.

'Don't you have a bunch of meetings to go to?' Jason asked, pointing accusingly. She shrugged.

'Max can survive without me for one evening,' She stated, grabbing the hand and pulling him to his feet, 'Besides, we could use this. We've all been stressing out the last few weeks. We need some time to unwind, collect our thoughts, come up with a new plan of action. You know how it is.' Her tone was polite and chirpy enough, but there was an underlining emphasis in her words. A silent plea for Jason to calm down, evaluate his situation, and made a suitable choice. A choice that _didn't_ involve self-destruction and rage. Jason was silent, then nodded his agreement.

'Will do.'

'JAY!' Comrade rushed forward, grabbing his brothers hand and dragging him forcefully to the table, 'Sit next to me! Professor Scream was so cool to bring his collections of board games!'

'Most of 'em are drinking games, I won't lie.' Darkscream chuckled, reaching out to sort through the games for something suitable.

'And I made dinner, too,' Comrade stated, shooting a pointed glare at his brother, 'I had to do the dishes to get it done, though.'

'YES! I win!' Jason whooped jokingly, ruffling his brothers hair.

'You two are weird.' Ashley chuckled, sliding in beside her bondmate.

They played for a couple of hours, mainly UNO by the end. Dinner had been spaghetti, which everyone enjoyed. Papyrus was in tears over the masterpiece of culinary art, and Sans was pleased that Jason had discreetly gotten him a saucer of ketchup. He happily dunked his chunks of spaghetti into it, ignoring his brothers annoyed stare and the cooing noise that came from Ashley, which she instantly denied ever happened.

The game was going well, with Darkscream winning. He grinned as Jason placed down a green card, about to place his own down and call UNO.

Until Comrade collapsed onto the board, throwing the cards in the air.

The shifters paused, glancing at the softly snoring boy for a moment. Jason then grabbed the cup Comrade had been drinking from, sniffing the drink.

'You gave him _actual_ alcohol?' He demanded. Darkscream shrugged.

'He asked for it,' He defended, shrinking into his chair, 'How could I say no to those eyes he pulls?' Jason rolled his eyes, getting up to pick his brother up. He began heading to the stairs, planning to place him in his old bed so he could sleep.

'Lost a player now,' Ashley said, brightening up some, 'At least now we can have an _interesting_ game.'

Jason hesitated at the stairs, looking back at Ashley's innocent look. He frowned, seeming confused. Sans glanced between them, discreetly moving to sit beside his brother.

Jason disappeared up the stairs for a moment, quickly sliding back down the rail once his brother was put to bed. He paused before sitting in his seat, glaring at Ashley suspiciously.

'Why would you even _want_ them here?' Jason asked. Ashley shrugged, smiling gamely.

'Why not?'

Jason huffed, rolling his eyes as he plonked back down. With a flash of light, he was accompanied by four new people. Sans felt his soul twitch, and he grabbed his brothers arm. Those four fighters from the Simulator now sat at the table, plucking up their own cards.

 _'Sans... are you okay?'_ Papyrus asked, frowning with concern. Sans nodded, keeping a close eye on the strange men now at the table.

'The more the merrier.' Darkscream said, but his smile was somewhat forced. He didn't know what Ashley was up to, but she was playing a dangerous game even _he_ wouldn't dare play.

The boys were fairly quiet, picking up on the tense air fairly quickly. The game continued, and with more players it began to get hectic. Oliver began laughing when he and Sam began reversing on each other eight times, and Darkscream finally began to relax somewhat. Sans just tried to keep an eye on his shifter. He seemed fairly relaxed with them out in the open, though he tried to keep an eye on them.

'It's nice to be out with people again,' Oliver said quietly, placing down his blue five card, 'It's been almost two years since we just hung out like this.'

'Yeah, ever since-'

'Cease that line of thought this instance, Samuel,' Hans snapped, calmly placing down his green five card, 'We don't need to escalate the levels of awkwardness we already have.'

'Well... the spaghetti's good.' Oliver piped brightly, trying to cheer the others up.

'What are you talking about? It's so cold it's practically stuck to the plate.' Sam complained, shoving the closest plate away from him.

Adrian grinned. Ashley and Jason sighed heavily at the sight. Oliver and Darkscream cringed. Hans' eyes narrowed the slightest bit, while Sam bared his teeth.

'Don't.' He growled, the hair flaring wildly for a moment.

'Well, you know what they say about cold spaghetti-'

'Shut the fuck up!'

'Those who forget the _pasta_ -'

'Shut yer fuckin' mouth!'

'Are doomed to _reheat_ it.'

Sans may have snickered at the puns if the tension wasn't so high. There was a beat of silence.

'I WILL KILL YOU YOU FUCKING BASTARD!' Hans sprang up and wrapped his arms around Sam as he sprang up, determined to leap over the table to get to Adrian. Jason face palmed, unfazed by the rage induced display. Ashley rolled her eyes, puting a calming hand on her bondmates arm. Oliver sank into his chair, trying to hide himself from the sight. Adrian's grin widened, and he leaned against the table with a little giggle.

'You get mad _fusilli_ reasons.'

'Let me go Hans!'

'Don't worry, it's _malfade_ , not yours.'

'I will fucking destroy him!'

'Your temper is _spirali_ out of control.'

'I will rip you apart!'

'I can _tagliatelle_ your upset.'

'You fucking asshole!'

'I feel sorry _fiori_ you.'

'Don't you fuckin' give me pity!'

'I ain't _alfredo_ you!'

'LET ME AT HIM!'

'Ohh, if I had a _penne_ every time I heard that.'

Jason slammed his fist into the table, causing a deafening _crack!_ Sans and Papyrus yelped, the force of the impact throwing them both an inch into the air. The two bickering boys froze, looking over at him. Jason took a deep breath, trying to banish the irritation he felt.

'You! Stop trying to cause a fight!' Jason hissed at Adrian, turning next to Sam, 'And you! Stop acting like a _bigoli_ baby and calm down! All four of you, meet me upstairs!' He stood up, purposely moving towards the staircase. Adrian blinked, cocking his head.

'Did you just-'

'NOW!'

Sam, Oliver and Hans disappeared in a shower of sparks. Adrian lingered a moment to process the command, chuckling. In the end he followed suit. Now it was just the skeleton brothers and the Originals.

'Okay, _why_ did you insist on inviting them to the game?' Darkscream demanded, reaching out to gently pet Papyrus. Papyrus huffed at the touch, but resigned himself to be petted. Ashley shrugged, gently taking Sans in her hands to pet him too. Sans rolled his eye lights, though he leaned into the touch. It was a soothing action for both parties, and he was glad to have some of his stresses melt away under her careful touch.

'They were never going to talk on their own,' Ashley said, leaning back in her chair, 'Adrian may think he's unpredictable, but he'll _always_ try to cause trouble. Now they'll be forced into a confrontation, and hopefully they can resolve their issues.'

* * *

Jason strolled into the bathroom, switching on the tap to splash his face. He sighed, taking deep breaths. The cold water was nice, but it did nothing to relieve his stress.

'Alright, we're fuckin' alone. Now what?' Sam demanded, appearing behind him. Jason leaned against the marble counter, glaring at Sam and Adrian.

'You two need to knock your shit off!' Jason said, 'I'm a liability as it is. If we do shit like that in front of Ashley again, _especially_ after I almost killed her, she's liable to eliminate us!'

'No she won't,' Hans stated, 'The commander has a high level of respect and affection towards you. A stunt like that will not be enough to get her to eliminate us.'

'Besides, she sees you as her own son.' Oliver added, arms wrapped around Hans waist. Jason sighed, shaking his head.

'That's beside the point. We still need to change things.' He said in exasperation.

'No,' Hans said, ' _You_ do.'

Jason paused, looking at Hans in confusion. _What... I'm not the one causing the problems._

'Actually, you _are_ causing the problems, Captain,' Hans continued, crossing his arms stubbornly, 'The whole reason we're in turmoil is because your emotions are out of control and destroying our balance.'

'I am fine.' Jason said.

'Riiiight. And I'm the fuckin' queen of England.' Sam said sarcastically.

'Captain, you need to confront your fear of loosing those close to you,' Hans said, his voice slightly softer, 'You need to accept what happened, and move on.'

'B-but-'

'Hey!' Adrian said, chucking a small box at Jason, who easily caught it, 'Anyone else notice where we are?'

Jason frowned, glancing at the box. It was a hair dye box. _I don't have..._ He looked around the bathroom, feeling a spark of dread wash over him. This wasn't his bathroom, but the larger one on the opposite side of the house. The one that he used to share with-

 _No! Don't think of that._

'We haven't been here in almost two years.' Oliver murmured, looking around with a look of sad nostalgia.

'Since the others died.' Sam said bluntly.

Jason sniffed, quickly trying to wipe away the stray tear that stubbornly appeared. In his anger, he hadn't realized that he had entered the other side of the building. The part that was once filled, and had now been empty for so long. He hadn't been able to look at those rooms... but he also couldn't leave them.

Hans was right. Comrade leaving had awakened a long dormant depressive phase, one he had had no time to indulge in. He had been too busy taking care of Comrade, and had never gotten a chance to truly grieve.

In truth, he was scared to be left alone. He wasn't sure he was ready to confront this demon.

'Jay, please,' Oliver whispered, leaving Hans' side to take Jason's hand, 'We need to start moving on.'

'There was nothing we could have done, Captain.'

'It's time to get on with our life.' Sam said, biting down on his lip to keep from swearing. Now was not the time for it.

Jason sighed, looking down at the box. It was a dark green colour. He couldn't help but snort at that, glancing up at the others.

'Robyn always used the silliest colours to dye his hair, didn't he?' He asked, chuckling sadly. He could clearly remember the mess of multicoloured hair his old friend always wore. _Stars, I miss him._

He glanced into the mirror. His four other personalities framed him, each of their colours easily distinguishable. He frowned thoughtfully, his free hand idly running through his tuft of hair. _Maybe... I could...?_

'Ya know what? Fuck it!'

* * *

Darkscream was pacing, periodically glancing at the ceiling. Ashley quietly sitting on the couch, looking through a small pad. She had been texting a "Maxamis", and was being updated with the information regarding the meeting she was missing. Sans and Papyrus had settled themselves on the couches armrest, barely keeping themselves awake.

'He's been up there for a long time.' Darkscream muttered, glancing at the ceiling again.

'Yes he has.' Ashley muttered, eyes never leaving the pad.

'Should... should we check on him?' He asked, stopping in front of her, 'Make sure he's still alive up there? You know his tendencies...'

'Nah,' Ashley dismissed, 'I have faith in him. They'll work things out.'

'How are you taking this so well?' Darkscream demanded, his hands twitching nervously, 'Who knows what he's doing up there?'

'Scream, sit down.' Ashley ordered. He huffed, but sat down beside her. She placed the pad aside, wrapping her arms around him.

'It's going to be fine, hun,' She whispered, kissing his cheek, 'You know how strong he can be when he wants to.'

'But how will we know he'll be okay?' Darkscream asked, idly tracing a finger over Sans' spine. He grumbled in his half-asleep state, lazily batting at the finger. The shifter smiled a little and removed his hand, leaving him be. Sans resumed his position in his little brothers arms, who was already asleep.

The stairs creaked as Jason slowly made his way down. He was rubbing at his head, making his slightly wet hair flop over his eyes. Sans's eyes widened at his disheveled state. His neckline was wet, a towel wrapped over his shoulders. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. And his hair was a dark green, matching his eyes. He looked more relaxed then Sans had seen him in days, and seemed almost content.

Ashley smiled up at him, leaving her bondmate on the couch. She walked over to meet him at the end of the stairs.

'Hey man. How you holding up?' She asked knowingly. Jason thought for a moment, offering her a hopeful smile.

'I... I think we're gonna be okay now,' He said, glancing over his shoulder to the second floor, 'Tomorrow, I'm gonna... well I...'

Ashley stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him. He tensed at first, but then sank desperately into the touch. She was a few inches taller than him, and he was easily able to rest against her. Sans smiled at the sight. The girl was a lot like Toriel - regal, caring, and so mother-like.

'If you need one of us around, you just need to ask.' She said. Jason shook his head.

'No... I think I need to do this on my own.' She hummed, nodding her understanding.

'Okay. Well, if you need anything, give us a call,' She said, moving to cup his cheek, 'A team takes care of its members.' Jason frowned.

'But I'm not a part of your team.' He insisted, almost nuzzling her hand. It had been so long since he'd been comforted by someone who wasn't one of his personalities. Ashley just smiled at him, lightly pecking him on the forehead.

'You keep telling yourself that,' She said, turning to her bondmate, 'Come on. Let's go home.'

Jason watched as the two left. The Original had just admitted that she saw him as a part of her team. And her team was her family. He found himself grinning. It was nice to know that there was someone who felt so close to him.

He yawned, glancing over at the skeletons. They were huddled together, fast asleep. He smiled warmly, making his way to his room. It was time he followed suit and got some much needed rest.


	27. Case

Jason watched as his target stood in the entrance of a secluded alleyway. _What a cliche._ Name: Silas Shamash. He was a rouge drug dealer who had been dealing with the Vertens for the past few weeks. More people had been getting turned due to his supplement and Ashley had gotten sick of it. The man was to be captured for interrogation and the merchandise confiscated to the Guard.

Jason wasn't really meant to be out in the field doing a case. But he had seen the wanted post, and had decided to take it. He knew he was procrastinating, but he didn't care.

Silas turned around, quickly speaking to a shadowy figure before walking off. He now held a small cardboard box under an arm. _Strange_ , Jason thought. _Usually the serum is locked in a secure briefcase._

Jason just shook his head, quietly standing from the bench he'd been laying on for the past two hours. _Blend into the environment._ With the tattered clothing he wore, any passersby would mistake him for a homeless bum. Being outside of the Mandimal Sanctuary, he had opted out of taking his cloak. Felt weird not to have it nearby, but the human society tended to stare at what was different, and he didn't need that attention to arouse suspicion. The less attention he drew, the better.

He quietly slid up behind the oblivious man, pulling out a tiny gun. To an outsider it would look like a child's keyring toy, but in reality had the same power as a Smith and Wesson XVR 460 Magnum. Sometimes it payed to be Lenny's favourite; she gave the best toys.

'Hold it Silas,' Jason ordered, causing the man to freeze, 'If you know whats good for you, I'd suggest you surrender peacefully.'

Jason didn't expect him to just surrender. In fact, he was already prepared for a chase.

What he _really_ didn't expect was for Silas to throw a smoke bomb at his feet.

Jason began choking on the silver-white fumes, watery eyes searching. Silas had begun running down the walkway, clutching the box like a lifeline. He branched off down an old subway entrance. Jason couldn't help but snort. That particular tunnel had been sealed off long ago, which left Silas trapped underground.

 _Oh, this is gonna be fucking fantastic!_ Sam gushed, itching to follow.

 _I always did love a good game of hide and seek._ Adrian purred.

 _Don't get cocky guys_ , Jason reprimanded as he set up a shield at the entrance. The entire doorway was blocked out. His target wouldn't get away from him this time.

'Make this easier on yourself mate, and just come out.' Jason called as he ambled down the steps. No response but a light thudding sound echoing in the air.

'You know I can hear your heartbeat, right?'

Jason walked around the corner to see Silas standing in the open, glaring at him. The box was tucked under one arm, and he held a slightly glowing vial in the other. He quickly upended the light blue concoction, grimacing at the taste of it.

'Are we going to do this the easy way, mate?' Jason asked hopefully. Silas dropped the empty vial, and the glass shattered loudly in the near silent cavern.

Silas' erratic heartbeat leveled out, and the snarl left his face. Jason frowned at the change. What the...

'The hard way.' Silas said evenly, calmly.

Then he pointed his hand at Jason, and a glowing blue projectile was flung at him.

Jason gasped in pain as it hit him. He hadn't been fast enough to dodge it. He hesitated at the deep pain he felt, like the blow had touched his spark. But there was no way it actually had... right?

Silas grinned and pelted a second projectile at him. This time Jason could clearly see it was shaped as a knife. He was able to get out of the way, though barely. Silas continued, adding more of the knives to try and corner the shifter. Jason barely slipped passed each one, and often was hit by them. Silas was now moving to get around him.

 _Jay, they aren't hurting you_ , Oliver stated, and distracted Jason long enough for a knife to slice into his arm.

 _What are you talking about?_ Jason demanded, not meaning to sound so cross with the youngest and sweetest personality. But then he glimpsed at where the latest blade had sliced through.

There was no blood. He could plainly feel the sharp sting from when the blue blade had hit him, but there was no physical cut. It was as if the blade had simply fazed through it to strike at his very core.

As did the next one, which fazed through his chest. Jason stiffened, waiting for the deep pain that would follow from such a direct hit.

It fazed straight through without harming him.

Jason frowned at that. A new torrent of knives came at him, and he didn't move. They passed though him without giving any pain. Silas hesitated in his attack, now behind Jason. He tried again, but the knives were wavering. As if this new ability was fading away.

'Okay, I think we're done here.' Jason said, beginning to walk over to him. Silas's breath hitched, and he flung a scattered torrent of blades before desperately fleeing. There had been no real focus on them however, and they dissipated before they even touched him.

Jason sighed, ignoring the nagging pain in his spark. He'd sustained some injuries there, but they weren't severe. He'd had much worse, anyway. He followed Silas as he dashed up the stairs, rolling his eyes. When he climbed up the stairs, Silas had placed the box beside him and was now working on the little device that was keeping the shield operating.

'Okay that's enough. This ends now.' Jason said, his voice causing the rouge to flinch. He then snorted.

'Oh, you think so? This has only just begun!' He spat, 'You won't be able to stop them from getting this done. Even if the war is over, they will still find a way to get to you lot.'

'I know that. Loopholes are a marvelous thing, eh?' Jason slowly inched forward.

'But this isn't any ol' serum transaction, is it?' Jason said, his tone indication a knowing smugness. Silas snorted.

'Figured it out, did'ja?' Jason smirked at the rouges sarcasm.

'Tis a shame I'm stopping it, huh?' He said, shrugging dismissively, 'They will never get their package now.'

'You think this is the only one?' Silas laughed, 'They are not idiots, bounty hunter. UK will get his delivery... even if it isn't from me.'

'So there _are_ more of you lot.' Jason winked, catching the rouge's accidentally confession. Ashley would like to know more about that. Silas hesitated, then scowled at what he'd done.

'You can't stop them. With these,' He said, nudging the box with his foot, 'they will take you all down.'

'Did you really think this would work?' Jason asked, crossing his arms, 'You couldn't even beat me downstairs.'

'Oh, maybe not now. But soon, _Oak_ ,' He spat the name out like it was bile, 'When they perfect their weapon, there will be nothing you or your stupid pets will be able to-'

Suddenly a huge blade sliced through Silas' gut. Eyes wide with shock, both Rogue and Mandimal stared as he slid off the blade and to his knees. Jason growled.

'Adrian! What the fuck?!'

' _What?_ He was droning on.' Adrian said, not looking the slightest bit sorry for impaling the rouge with his scythe. Jason groaned in exasperation, wishing he could strangle the holoform.

'He was **talking**.'

'Not like you knew the Verten's plan anyway.' Adrian said in annoyance.

'The idiot was giving me **everything**!' Jason yelled, 'If I just had a little more time I could have had him confess everything!'

Silas began to laugh, even if the action caused him great pain. Blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth as he looked up at Jason, swaying on his knees.

'You haven't won, Oak,' He snickered, and the action caused him to cough up more blood, 'If only you knew what you allowed to happen right under your own noses.'

'You won't be turning any innocent people anymore.' Oliver piped up, slightly hidden behind Jason. Silas laughed again as he fell forward, barely keeping himself up. His hands shook from straining to hold him up, and he was panting hard.

'I-idiots. You have... n-no idea... wh-what's really... r-really going on.' His arms gave out, and he collapsed to the ground. He didn't move again.

Jason sighed heavily, shaking his head. He glanced up at Adrian, who was kicking the unresponsive body.

'Ya know Ash is gonna kill us for this, right?' He asked. Adrian just shrugged dismissively.

'If it isn't the serum,' Hans said, glancing down at the box, 'Then what was he protecting?'

Jason rolled his eyes as he bent down by the box, moving the body over so he had more room. Anyone else would have felt disgust at touching dead flesh, or even remorse over the loss of life. But Jason? He'd been unfazed by dead body's ever since he was a small child. And after he lost his team, he'd become truly numb to the sight and smell of dead bodies. It just didn't incite the same reaction anymore. Not after what had happened...

Taking a deep breath, Jason opened the box. At the last moment he leaned back, in case something exploded. The box had been going to UK, the Verten mad scientist. Jason expected something toxic or explosive. Something that could be used as a deadly weapon.

Jason frowned. The box was halved, with one side securely holding a bunch of different coloured vials, with one missing. The other half contained a small group of monsters. They were huddled in a corner, turning frightful and distrustful eyes on him. They were in a sorry state, clothes and fur matted as it was. They were mostly white, most of them being dog-like creatures with the biggest looking almost like a goat with a golden yellow beard. Each was wearing some kind of armour, though tatted and dented horribly. The dogs backed up, forming a shield before the goat. And... what was that gleaming in its matted hair?

'PUPPIES!' Oliver popped up, a huge smile on his face. He reached out to begin petting the closest dog. It tried resisting for a moment before sighing and leaning into the touch. The other dogs noticed this and ran forward, whining in demand of pats.

Jason chuckled, reaching out to pet the only black and white dog in the group. It yelped when it saw the approaching hand, holding out a hand. Jason flinched back when a light blue knife was thrown at him. He hissed in pain, glaring accusingly. That attack had been just like the one Silas had used. _So Blue Jay isn't the only monster with abilities then_ , he thought. _Interesting._

The goat gasped at the sight of Jason's annoyed look. He rushed forward, pulling the dog back so he was hidden behind the goats larger form. The dog was whimpering, trying to disappear into the corner of the box. The goat glared up at Jason, though he trembled. Jason's annoyed sneer disappeared. Did the monster think he was going to retaliate? What was he thinking, of course the guy did. They'd been stuck with Vertens for who knew how long. If one of them had attacked them, he wouldn't have been surprised if they would retaliate to discourage future defiance. The fact that the goat monster was putting himself in harms way to protect the dog made Jason smile somewhat.

'Eh, don't worry bout it.' He said, reaching out to the goat. The goat flinched back, expecting to be hurt, but was surprised when the shifter only gently petted his head. He looked back up, almost looking confused.

'No harm done.' Jason grinned, gently nudging the monster playfully.

'They're so cute.' Oliver gushed, resuming his petting. The dogs got excited, and all but forgot about the scare as they were given pats.

Jason noticed the goat monster watching him intently. He cocked his head, watching the little monster back.

'What's up mate?' Jason asked rhetorically. It couldn't answer him, after all.

The monster made a funny face before holding its paws up, carefully moving them in strange positions. When he stopped he cocked his own head, a pleading look in those little red eyes. Jason frowned. What was all that?

Adrian had seen the display and began snickering to himself.

'What?' Jason asked.

'Oh nothing.' Adrian slyly dismissed, holding back his chuckles.

'What is it?' Oliver asked, sounding worried. He didn't like it when Adrian began laughing like that.

'If only you realised.'

'...Are you just trying to fuck with me again?' Jason asked. Adrian chuckled. Jason groaned, slamming the box closed. The monsters made some distressed noises before settling down. Oliver whined, wanting to play with the dog monsters some more.

'You are a real prick, ya know that?' Jason said as he stood up, holding the box close to his chest as he barged passed Adrian.

If Jason had just calmed down for a moment and thought about the situation, he may have realised something very important.

Adrian was the only Quintiple member that knew sign language.

* * *

Ratap sighed as he finished taking details from Data. Two and a half inches tall, and barely an ounce. She really was tiny. She seemed to be in good health. Or, at least, he _thought_ she was. He really didn't know. The information on monster anatomy was stagnant, and didn't even seem to relate to the dinosaur monster. So infuriating.

The research was... slow. There wasn't much information on monsters, but all accounts agreed at their fragility. One wrong move and he'd have a pile of dust. It made the progress go slow, as they tried to be careful and prevent any unnecessary deaths. He was beginning to understand Ashley's impatience. He was aching for answers too.

The door to the Burrow opened. He didn't even look up as he wrote down the information he had gained. It was pitiful. They weren't getting anywhere. He groaned loudly.

'Heya Rat.' Lenny called, placing down a box on the counter. He sighed as he turned to her, curiously looking at the box.

'What's this?' He asked. Lenny shrugged as she opened the box, pulling out a glowing vial.

'Jason came in with it. Said the Rouge he was hunting had used it, and was able to do some... weird stuff.' She said, staring at the strange concoction. They didn't notice Data's widened eyes when she saw the serum.

'"Weird stuff", huh? Like what?' Ratap asked. She shrugged.

'Said it was like what Blue Jay had done, but... painful.' She explained, twirling the vial in her hands.

Ratap frowned, sliding the box closer so he could pluck one up himself. It didn't seem like much, barely a mouthful of glowing gunk. He could have sworn he could see some dust particles in it. It reminded him of some of Joanna's herb-based medicines. Ugh... disgusting.

'He thinks it has something to do with the monsters?' He asked.

'He found a bunch of monsters, as well,' Lenny said, looking thoughtful, 'They were able to use the exact ability that the Rouge used on him.'

'Really?' Ratap gushed, staring at the vial with more interest, 'Hmm. I wonder...?'

He rushed over to the microscope, splashing a small amount of the gunk to examine it. He looked through the scope, focusing on the concoction. It was filled with shining dust particles, which almost seemed to vibrate with intensity. They were unstable, but the sight was unlike anything he'd ever seen. As he watched, the particles would melt and reform as tiny blades.

'Lenny, I want you to put the vial down. _Carefully,_ ' Ratap said, backing away from the microscope, 'This stuff... is _amazing_! The particles are supercharged with... I don't even _know_ what!'

'What do you mean?' Lenny demanded as she carefully replaced the vial. Ratap plucked up the vial he'd been examining, not really being as careful with it in his excitement. He finally had something he could work with!

'Lenny, this is-' He was cut off as the vial of unstable components erupted. Ratap was thrown back against the wall, calling out in pain.

'RATAP!' Lenny yelled, rushing to his side. She hesitated. She had seen an explosion, but there was no evidence of one. His clothes were in perfect condition, and there was no sign of blood. He groaned in pain, his hand clutching over his spark. He blinked blearily at Lenny, who held him close to her chest.

'Ratap? Are you okay?' She asked, near tears. It had been a long time since there had been an explosion in the Burrow, and never one like this. She wasn't sure what to do.

'W-write that d-down.' Ratap said, coughing as he painfully sat up. Lenny stared at him for a moment, then snorted. That was Ratap for you. More concerned about the data than his own well being.

'What happened? Are you okay?' She asked, ignoring his request. He sighed, glancing down at his chest.

'That stuff got through to my spark,' He said, causing Lenny's blood to freeze, 'Lenny, if the Vertens are able to weaponise this properly...'

'We won't have any defense against it.' Lenny finished, glancing up at Data. She had hidden herself behind one of the larger beakers, wide eyes watching the two shifters nervously.

'What are we missing here?' Lenny wondered aloud.

* * *

 **BONUS**

Ashley sighed as she entered her office, feeling drained. Another meeting with the human representatives. They were accusing the Mandimal's of sabotage and treason for withholding their weapons technologies. Really, how thick headed could they get? She slumped against the desk, ready to simply fall asleep and escape the rest of the day's activities. She rested her head against her folded arms. She was _not_ in the mood to deal with people.

The table vibrated in time with a merry jingle, a stark contrast to her own mood. She lifted her head to glare at the accusing item. Her phone. She had formed a system with her team, that the comm. link was to be used for emergencies and formal topics, while the old phones were for casual banter. She sighed, reaching out to check the message that had been sent to her.

 _ **Devil Spawn:** **HEY!**_

Ashley frowned at the contact name. _Devil Spawn? Wha...?_ She sighed, texting back.

 _ **Ash: Who's this? I think Scream changed my contacts again.**_

 _ **Devil Spawn:** **It's Roxanne... what did he call me?**_

Ashley barely contained an amused snort. Of _course_ he'd call their daughter a devil spawn. She texted the name over.

 _ **Devil Spawn:** **o.0 LOL! He lies. I perfect angel! ;P**_

 _ **Ash: Rriiiight. What do you want?**_

 _ **Devil Spawn:** **Uh... would it be bad if I impulsively bought a robot monster?**_

Ashley raised an eyebrow. While she had no qualms with her members gaining pets, a _robot_ monster?

 _ **Ash: You're kidding, right?**_

She got an image this time. It held a young girl that looked a lot like Ashley, poking her tongue out with a piece sign as she snapped a selfie. In the shot was a small robot, made up of black and pink components. His black hair was flung up as he posed dramatically, a pleased smile on his face at the attention he was getting. It almost seemed as if stars were shining around him, giving him an otherworldly glow. Ashley snorted at the image, shaking her head.

 _ **Devil Spawn: This is St** **ella Choream, and he is mine now.**_

 _That so, huh?_ Ashley thought as the name was quickly translated in her head. The confident nature of the creature seemed to fit, and the way it seemed to be dancing in the still shot was impressive. But still...

 _ **Ash: You don't find it weird? I mean, #we're# robots, technically.**_

 _ **Devil Spawn: #le gasp# Are you being specieist?**_ Ashley rolled her eyes.

 _ **Ash: How does that even work?**_

 _ **Ash: I can't change your mind even if I tried, can I?**_

 _ **Devil Spawn: Nah. Already sighed the papers.**_

 _ **Ash: -_-**_

 _ **Devil Spawn: 0:-)**_

 _ **Ash: ... Ok, fine.**_

 _ **Devil Spawn: :D Thnx mum! Love you lots! xoxo**_

 _ **Ash: Love you too, devil spawn :P**_

Ashley smiled as she turned the phone on silent, locking it in the drawer so there would be no more distractions. She felt mildly better now.

 **'Ash, its Lenny.'** Came over the feed, and Ashley perked up.

 **'Any news?'**

 **'We blew up the Burrow, and are still no closer to any answers.'**

Ashley felt her heart sink at that. _Nothing?_ She groaned, feeling a pounding headache forming. _Twins help me, how am I meant to..._ She froze, getting an idea. She had faith that her research team could eventually find answers, but she was getting impatient. She couldn't shake this horrible feeling that they were doing something terrible, and it was quickly eroding any sense of patience she had.

She had to call Jason. _Now_.

* * *

 **Can anyone guess what the little robots new name means? :P Don't worry if you can't figure it out, the answer will come in the next chapter.**


	28. Confrontation

**Authors Note**

 **Thank you beauties and gentlebeauties for staying with me this far! I know I could be more consistent with my postings, but I'm getting there.**

 **For those who couldn't find it, Mettaton's pet name means Dancing Star. Fitting, is it not?**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Jason stood in the hallway, staring down at the doorknob. He'd been standing there for over half an hour now, trying to muster up the courage to open that door. So far, all he had accomplished was wearing out the carpet from his constant pacing.

He sighed, his hands pulling at his green hair. _I can't do this!_ Why couldn't he just man up and go in there? One easy step, and he could do it! It should _not_ be this difficult.

He spotted movement in his peripheral vision, and turned to see Blue Jay. He was leaning against the stairs, curious eye sockets watching him. Jason sighed, glaring back at the stupid knob. He wasn't going to be able to do this. He knew he needed this, but he just couldn't muster up the courage to go in. Not on his own, at least.

He flinched a bit as Blue Jay appeared on his shoulder. It was sometimes frightening how he'd do that. Jason had nearly thrown him off twice now, but still the monster trusted him enough to get so close. He leaned against Jason's neck, and the cold contact actually made Jason feel a bit better.

'Well, I guess I'd better do this, huh?' He spoke to the skeleton, forcing himself to take the knob. With a deep breath, he shut his eyes and turned the knob, throwing the door open.

He took one last breath and stepped into the room.

He glanced around at the room. It had been nearly two years since he'd been in there. It looked just as it did then. Books were scattered around the room haphazardly, and the desk was covered in old blueprints. Half built devices scattered the room. The bed was covered in thick woolen blankets of different colours. Jason smiled sadly, walking over to the bundle of blankets. His hand idly traced the nightstand, and he was sad to see just how much dust covered it.

With a sigh, Jason climbed into the blankets, bundling himself up. They were warm and familiar. He didn't react when a small cloud of dust scattered at his movement. He nearly began bawling again; he could still make out the slight scent of spices. Robyn always loved his spicy foods, and would often take his meals into his room. Jason was sure the scents would never truly go away.

Blue Jay had moved from his shoulder and was now exploring the room. Jason couldn't help but smile at the skeleton's curiosity. He even snickered a bit when dust danced around him and caused Blue Jay to sneeze. How a skeleton could do so, however, eluded him. Had Robyn still been around, he would have loved the monster to bits.

Jason froze when the monster stopped on the desk, bending down to examine something. He slowly climbed out of the bed, holding a purple blanket around his shoulders as he almost timidly approached the monster. He had found a tiny silver pendant, which couldn't be much bigger than a twenty cent piece. It was shaped as a heart, with a golden dragon clutching an opal embedded on the front. Jason gingerly picked it up, rubbing his thumb over the dim gem to make it more clear. It almost seemed to glow with a multitude of colours, just like Robyn's hair once did.

Jason opened the locket, looking in at the picture inside. It was of him and Robyn, with a golden haired Sira and redheaded Dyane, all beaming as they mucked around. Ashley had taken that picture when the team had graduated from the school, and Jason had picked it for the pendant he'd made for Robyn. He had given it to him the same morning that he had lost them. Jason sniffed, using his sleeve to wipe away a few stray tears. He hadn't smiled like he was in the photo in years; it was almost like looking at a complete stranger.

'What would you say to me now, if you knew what I have done?' He asked the pendant, imagining how disappointed they would be in him.

Jason brought his other hand over, using it to gingerly grab the tiny handle on the back of the small pendant. After he opened the catch, he began twisting it. Once he had wound it up, he closed his eyes and let the tiny device begin working. A tiny wound up music box sat hidden inside the pendant, and began to play his old childhood lullaby. A sweet, quiet sound, which sounded both merry yet sad. Creepy, some had told him. He began humming along to the tune and he clutched the pendant close. But he didn't sing the song.

Maybe... he was ready to finally begin moving on now?

He flinched as his communication link sounded off in his head. He blinked, checking on the caller ID. Ashley was calling him.

 **'What is it?'** He asked, trying not to sound snappy at the interruption.

 **'I need you. Meet me at these coordinates.'** Was all she said before cutting the link off. A message appeared on his watch. Jason sighed, noting the urgent notes attached to the file.

He glanced down at the pendant, which was only now beginning to slow in its song. He gently shut it, pulling the necklace from around his neck. He quickly added the pendant to the necklace and slipped it back on. It now rested hidden beneath his shirt, where he could know he would have the last part of his team safe.

He sighed again as he gently scooped up Blue Jay, bringing the file up so he would know where he was heading. He nearly tripped over his feet when he realized where she planned on meeting him.

 _Oh boy_ , he thought as he closed the door behind him, _this is gonna be a long night._

* * *

Jason sighed, feeling content in the familiar surroundings. Stone pillars jutted out of the ground in neat, orderly lines, and grass and flowers grew in abundance. The graveyard brought back fond memories of home. He would take walks down their paths more often, but humans discouraged such behavior. They believed it to be disrespectful to their dead, so he stuck to their etiquette and tried not to loiter in the areas.

He walked up the hill, stopping by a row of marble tombstones. A few were old and withered from the weather, but two of them had been kept in good condition. Ashley was kneeling in front of them, a bouquet of flowers resting over her knees. She clutched at the front of her oversized red hoodie, and Jason wondered if it was actually the one that Darkscream always wore. He wouldn't have been surprised if she'd swiped it from him. With a sigh, she placed the roses over the preserved twin graves.

'I don't know what else to do...' She was saying, as if seeking guidance from her long dead parents.

Jason cleared his throat to get her attention. She flinched, her hand reaching for the knife connected to her belt. She visibly calmed when she realized it was just Jason.

'You still carry that around, huh?' Jason asked, smirking. She rolled her eyes.

'Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.' She stated quietly.

'Hear, hear.' Jason cheered quietly, is own hand tracing the hilt of his own knife.

He helped Ashley to her feet, and she motioned for him to follow her. She was leading him down an older part of the graveyard, which was littered with strewn about marble tombs that loomed over them. Jason trailed hims hand over the weather beaten stone, smiling at the smooth, cold surface. This was more what he was used to.

 _...Wait._

'Where are we going?' Jason asked, feeling his nerves begin to tighten.

'The center of the tombs.' Ashley answered, never looking back at him. Jason gulped, glancing around at his surroundings for any sign of a trap or ambush. She was leading him deeper into the haphazard stone foundation, where there would be no witnesses. _She's finally gonna kill me_ , distressed the paranoid side of him. He faltered, almost turning to bolt.

Blue Jay noticed his distress and began nuzzling into his neck. Jason took a deep breath, calming himself so he could think rationally. _It's not logical_ , Hans was telling him. And he was right. Ashley wouldn't have dragged him out there just to kill him; it wasn't her style. If she had to eliminate a danger, she would give them a chance to reform and heal before committing herself to such a permanent solution. She never enjoyed taking a life, and would avoid it if she could.

Unless it was a mad Verten, then she'd swiftly dispatch a team to eliminate the threat. She'd learnt from past mistakes not to trust them. She had been the frog to too many scorpions in the past, he mused, likening her past mistakes to an old Gimm fairy tale. _A scorpion can't change it's nature..._

They stopped in a shallow alcove, were there were some log seats laying around. A small dish full of water sat in the middle of the circle, where one would normally place a fire bucket.

'Okay, you got me here,' Jason said, trying to keep his tone aloof so to hide his mounting nervousness, 'you're either gonna kill me, or something _much_ worse. What's it gonna be?'

'Probably something worse.' Ashley said bluntly, striking a match and dropping it into the dish.

Purple flames lept a few feet into the air in a sudden roar of fury. Blue Jay flinched back, startled by the sudden flames. Jason, for his part, was able to repress his own flinch.

'You want to... _why_?' Jason demanded. Ashley sighed, not meeting his eyes.

'Is this about your paranoid suspicions? I thought you had faith in your team!'

'NEVER doubt my faith in my family!' Ashley shouted, eyes blazing a dangerous scarlet at the accusation. Jason quickly shut his mouth, regretting his words. He should have known better than pushing that button.

'Jason, we're getting no results in our research. And I don't think we have the luxury of time. We _need_ answers!'

Jason huffed, glancing at the flames that had returned to a more natural colour. He didn't like using this ability. It gave the user a frightening headache, and the things one would see... It was not for the faint of heart. He really did not want to do it.

But one look at Ashley made him pause. She was the leader and representative of the entire Mandimal Order, as well as the main conductor of the United Empire. She was strong, fierce, and a natural leader. But the large bags under her eyes betrayed how tired she really was. The stresses of such responsibilities were wearing her down, and now there was so much more she had to figure out. She was showing a rare moment of vulnerability that she usually didn't even let most of her team members see.

And she had a chance to find out the truth and hopefully rid herself of some of that stress. But it would only work if he helped her.

He groaned in defeat, gently scooping up his skeleton. Blue Jay gave him a weird look, but didn't fight as Jason sat him down on one of the logs. He cocked his head, then shrugged and easily lounged against the wood, looking rather comfortable.

'Alright Ash,' He ground out, sitting cross-legged by the dish, 'let's do this.' Ashley beamed thankfully, sitting down opposite him.

They took deep breaths, clasping each others forearms over the fire. It had died down, so it didn't quite reach them, though they could feel the heat. In the cold evening air, the warmth was welcomed. They closed their eyes, both focusing their enjion on the required ability. The energy traveled down their arms in waves, switching through both of them as the shared energy increased in intensity. The electricity-like energy seemed to dance merrily across their skin, helping each other focus on their ability.

'What do you see?' Jason asked as he opened his eyes. One eye was glowing with a silver fire, but he had yet to see anything. Ashley's was also flaming, but with traces of dark blue through the silver. She had succeeded in connecting.

Then the fire began to flicker, taking on shape. The flames danced, their colour becoming more blue, but the heat was drained away. The flames formed what looked like a winding path, branching off into two directions. It then changed to tiny figures walking, and Jason frowned. The scene showed Mandimal's and Verten's together, the flaming faces at ease and smiling.

'The peace holds, but...' Ashley hesitated, shaking her head, 'I hear screaming...'

 _Strange_ , Jason thought. Screaming was a stark difference to the tranquil scene being showed. Was somebody suffering in the dark? But how... the Treaty was meant to prevent that.

Then the flames changed again. Two flaming figures were huddled inside a cage, looking like they were whimpering. Above them, two titanic figures were battling, forms intermingled in furious battle.

'We have two possible futures,' Ashley said aloud as she puzzled over what she saw, 'Either the peace holds, or it crumbles. But we still haven't chosen our path yet...'

Jason frowned, looking back into the fire. He concentrated, to the point where a sharp pain pounded behind his flaming eye. But no blue appeared; he was being ignored. After a moment he began to growl, glaring up at the glowing moon above.

'Oh yeah! You answer _her_ , but the second _I_ call? You ignore me!' Jason screamed at nothing, feeling Sam flare indignantly, 'Ya really _do_ have favorites, don't ya, bitch!'

'Jason, calm down,' Ashley snapped, taking her hands back so to break their connection, 'You don't need to swear at the Goddess, idiot.' Jason huffed, making a childishly inappropriate face as he crossed his arms. _Great._ He hadn't wanted to do this, but being rejected by the Goddess? He sighed, foreseeing a rough night ahead.

He felt something at his leg, so he looked down to investigate. Blue Jay had gone to his side, tapping against his leg. Jason could help but smile, reaching down to pet the skeleton affectionately on the skull.

'Heh, don't worry 'bout m-'

Jason flinched, feeling a burning jolt run up his arm from where he had touched the skeleton. His eye burned with a near explosion of flame, blazing a deep red. Jason flinched back, his sight going dark. No, not dark. Colours, shapes and light flashed passed his eyes too fast to actually comprehend. So much white, some blue, lava red... blood? Oh, that had definitely been blood with the flashes of gold. Voices were mingling together, overlapping in an incoherent drone. He could hear the boys shouting in their confusion, no more aware of that was happening than Jason himself. What _was_ this?

'Jason?!' Ashley's voice barely got through to him, he was so overwhelmed with sound and visuals. It was almost like he had hacked into someones mind, and was viewing their entire memory bank. But... there was so much... This wouldn't even be the equivalent of three centuries of memories. How was there so much?

Then it abruptly ended, leaving Jason back in the campsite. Ashley was in front of him, eyes widened in a mixture of fear, concern and puzzlement. Jason blinked hard, trying to banish the phantom images in his mind.

 _-Jay? JAY?_

 _-What the FUCK WAS THAT?_

 _-Holy..._

 _-Oh geeze!_ That _was interesting._

Jason clumsily sprang to his feet, trying to get away from his mentor. He ended up tripping a few steps away and began heaving violently. Blue Jay had blipped onto a nearby log, making distressed keening noises. Ashley rushed to Jason's side, a gentle touch on his back to help calm him down. Jason didn't move, spitting the disgusting acidic taste from his mouth. He took a minute to breath, focusing on the soothing rubs Ashley gave him. He calmly began sorting through the barrage of images that had assaulted him.

'Bleeding cores of the stars above... Why is _Hydron_ getting involved in this?' Ashley breathed, cocking her head thoughtfully, 'What did he show you?'

Jason tasted more bile as he sifted through what he'd seen, but it had nothing to do with the vomiting. The more he saw, the more his spark churned with unease. _No... Surely not!_ He glanced at Ashley, opened his mouth to answer, but was speechless. Really, how could he voice this? He wiped the gunk from his mouth, taking a steady breath.

'How could anyone live through that?' He gasped out. Ashley frowned, cocking her head. But he wasn't asking her. He pointedly turned to Blue Jay.

'How could you stay sane through those RESETS, Sans the Skeleton?'


	29. Revelations

**Authors Note**

 **Ooo... Took me long enough to get to the big reveal, didn't it? :P**

 **And, really quick, I want to say something to KuroTenshi177, since I can't message you properly (or, at least, I don't know how to :P )**

 **Thank's so much for your review, you're so nice. You made me blush :3**

 **And, you said that this story seemed like a crossover with Transformers, right? Haha. Funny thing is, the story where the Shifters come from was originally a Transformers Beast Wars fanfic I made way back when I was younger. I didn't even _know_ what a fanfic was at the time, I just got bored with the show my lil' brothers made me watch with them and began writing. This story was my first ever one, too. I've been working on it for over a decade now, writing, scraping and rewriting it a hundred times over! It has slowly evolved into an original story (kinda) and I'm proud of the world I created :)**

 **Thanks to everyone else who left a review, too. Seeing them all makes me so happy, you got no idea!**

 **Plus, sorry about the wait. I just got a job, which has kept me very busy, and our internet was down for the longest time. Ugh! But it's fixed now, so we should be good.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 _wait, what?_

Sans froze at hearing his name come out of the shifters mouth. It sounded weird... it had been months since he'd heard his name spoken aloud, after all.

And now dread began creeping into his bones. Just _how_ did Jason suddenly know his name?

What did he see?

Ashley was frowning, looking between the two with a wildly confused expression. She grabbed Jason's shoulder, forcing him to look away from the monster and pay attention to her.

'What. Did. You. See?' She demanded, enunciating each word with a level of desperate clarification.

Jason ignored her. He shakily got to his feet, looking as if he may fall back down any second. Sans felt his SOUL pulse with fright, and he turned to teleport away. But he ended up running into a purple wall, trapped on the log.

Sans felt his bones rattle, and he gingerly looked over his shoulder. Jason carefully knelt down before the log, his eyes unusually intense. Sans couldn't read that expression, and he felt himself shrink away. Jason bit his lip, then reached out for him. Sans yelped, shutting his eyes as he tried to force himself through the shield, but unable to.

He felt the shield waver around him as Jason's hand fazed through it, and he braced himself. He wasn't quite sure what he expected; being picked up, or maybe for the unstable shifter to lash out? He could never be sure how Jason would react, especially after his near meltdown.

...But nothing happened.

Sans took a deep breath, chancing a peek. Jason had paused, his hand barely an inch away. He looked unsure, almost bordering on distressed. He huffed, then a finger lurched forward and poked at Sans' collar. His eye flashed with green and blue electricity, and Sans flinched as the metal band sparked. Sans tried to backtrack, but his back was already firmly pressed against the shield. He pushed at the finger that strayed to close with one hand, the other pulling at the collar.

'what did you do?!' He demanded, and it took him a moment to realize the seriousness of that.

He'd just spoken aloud. He spared barely a second to marvel over his own voice. Had it always been that deep? Like hearing his name, it sounded strange to his non-existent ears. He froze soon after, looking between the two shifters to see their reactions.

Jason was leaning back, his eyes growing somewhat hazy and distant. The shield fell away as his concentration waned. Ashley had gasped, eyes wide as a hand partially covered her open mouth.

'He spoke,' She said through her fingers, 'He just spoke!' Jason moved away and braced his hands on his knees, keeping his head between his legs so he could get a hold of his breathing. He looked like he would be sick again. Sans frowned at their reactions. It was as if the revelation that he could speak had physically hurt them.

'I had my suspicions, but actually hearing it...' Ashley continued, blinking hard to force herself out of her daze, 'They're really sentient... H-how did we not-'

'Cause we're thick,' Jason growled, crying out as he kicked a nearby rock, sending it flying far away, 'For FUCK SAKES! He had shown me _so many_ fuckin' times, but I never fucking realised it!'

Sans flinched away at the violent display, but made an effort not to flee. Ashley's eyes widened with horrified realization.

'Then that means... we've been... Oh Hydra, no! We've been keeping a sentient race as property. We're guilty of owning _slaves_!' She wailed in distress, shaking her head as she sunk to her knees.

'wait, please, calm down!' Sans called, visably flinching when the attention of two powerful - currently emotionally unstable - shifters leveled on him, 'come on, no need for this to get _under our skin_.' The shifters were silent, and Sans' grin began to falter. Was this a bad time to use a pun?

Then Ashley snorted, rolling her eyes. She looked like she wanted to smile, but just couldn't bring herself to do so.

'You're as bad as Darkscream, you know that, mate?'

' _water_ you talkin' about? that mans quite _humerus_.' Sans pestered with a wink, glad to see the girl try to stifle a snort of amusement. Jason just shook his head, sinking into a sitting position as he rubbed his temple.

'Okay, so... _why_ would they do this?' Jason asked aloud, attempting to rationalize the situation. Ashley frowned.

'It makes sense, considering their nature. Really, I'm not that surprised they'd try to do something like this.' She muttered.

'Shrink them down so their easier to handle; take away their magic so they can't fight back; get rid of their voices so they can't get help...' Jason listed as an eye tinted white, and Ashley raised an eyebrow at the news of shrinking and magic but shrugged it off quite quickly, 'This not only gives them a target to vent their anger and bloodlust with the Treaty in play, but also has the added benefit of providing income to their operations.'

'Oh Hydrons gauntlet! Of _course_ they did this! With that _stupid_ Treaty at play, they've been getting bored. This would have been a godsend for them,' Ashley cursed, then she grew quiet, 'I wonder if this would have happened if we never made peace?'

'hey, calm down kid. none of this is your fault,' Sans called out, 'you weren't the ones who did this to us.'

'But we could have realized what was happening much sooner.' Jason objected instantly. Sans sighed in annoyance at the self-berating tone his shifter had adopted. Jason just couldn't leave the guilt alone, could he?

Ashley had her hand over her spark, blinking rapidly as her hand fisted the fabric tightly. She almost looked lost. She backed away slowly, shaking her head to try and clear it.

'Okay, I'll... I'll be back in a minute,' She said distractedly, 'I'm just gonna fill the others in, then we'll... we'll need to meet up. Yeah.' She turned around, moving to leave the little alcove. But she paused by one of the stone walls.

'FUCKIN' HELL!' She screeched, slamming a fist into the wall. Enjion coated her hands, spraying out amidst the chunks of stone and marble that exploded into the air from the attack. The two males flinched back, watching as Ashley growled loudly, fisted hands barely containing the sparking electricity that flared with her sudden ire.

'When I get my hands on that blue _fucker_ , he's gonna wish he was NEVER assembled!' She shouted, storming off to vent in peace.

'... You could at least show some respect for the dead and not destroy their tombs.' Jason daringly called out. All he got in response was a string of curses that Sans hoped the kid would never learn.

* * *

Darkscream chuckled, watching as Tigor darted around the room, knocking things over in his wake. Tigor was growling, but the threatening sound was cancled out by his comically large eyes, like a living anime character.

'I... I'm gonna kill you!' Tigor spat, crouching down in readiness to pounce, 'Y-you're a dead man! You hear me?!'

'Riight.' Darkscream drawled lazily, flicking his wrist. A blearing red dot flicked across the wall, and Tigor pounced after it, banging into a desk and sending the lamp on it to the ground. It smashed loudly, probably waking up the entire household. Miracle, who had been sleeping soundly on Darkscream's chest, jolted awake. She blearily looked about, then glared up at Darkscream for the rude wake up call.

'Look what you did!' Tigor growled, but he couldn't survey the damage. He crouched down on all fours, watching the innocent little dot waver back and forth on the ceiling. _Damn that stupid lazer_ _pointer_ , he thought. As much as he tried to tear his gaze away, he found himself fixated.

'What is going on in here?' Lenny had walked into the room to see what all the commotion was about. She froze when she noticed the embarrassing and compromised position her bondmate was in.

'Darksc-'

Before she could even begin to threaten him, he had changed his trajectory. The red dot was now pointed at her chest. Tigor's head snapped over and he pounced, tackling her to the ground. Darkscream couldn't hold in his laughter at the sight, switching off the lazer light as he doubled over in a fit of jovial laughter. The bondmates squirmed in a tangle of limbs for a moment, pausing to glare at their friend.

'You having fun there?' Tigor demanded irritably. Lenny grinned, quickly kissing him on the cheek.

'Calm down, Tiger. He's just trying to put some good emotions through his bond,' She said, the two slowly untangling themselves and sitting up, 'With how stressed she's been lately, Ash needs all the joy and laughs Darkscream can give her.'

'Yeah,' Darkscream muttered, frowning as he rubbed his chest to ease the tight feeling that had appeared, 'Think they're prophesying now. She's definitely stressed enough for it.'

'Hopes its nothing too serious.' Lenny said, having maneuvered herself so she was sitting on her bondmates lap. Tigor sensed her forlorn mood and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close.

Hrist suddenly bounded into the room, looking about the strange scene. Lenny grinned, placing her palm flat on the ground.

'C'mere girl.' She called. The fish monster made a strange face, but leaped into the hand. Lenny brought the monster to her chest, lovingly petting the creature atop the head. She would have to thank Jason for introducing her the the spunky little monster; taking Hrist in had been one of the best decisions she had made in a long time.

Darkscream stiffened, gasping as if he'd been sucker punched in the gut. The bondmates sharply looked up at him to see if he was okay. His eyes were wide as he pressed his hand to his chest. He distractedly plucked up Miracle, placing her on the coffee table so she wasn't in the way.

'Geeze... what the hell was _that_?' He demanded rhetorically.

A message pinged on Lenny's watch, but she was too preoccupied with her practically adopted brothers sudden pain to pay any attention.

'What happened?' She asked, smoothly standing and stepping closer. She made sure to cup her hand close so Hrist wouldn't fall. Tigor followed close behind, just as worried about the sudden turnaround in his friends demeanor. He was frowning, looking like a million thoughts were going through his head. The fun-loving, laid back joker was not one to look so world weary. That was Tigor's job, dammit!

'Thinking isn't a good look on you, man.' He joked, glad to see Darkscream send him a jokingly miffed look, however subdued it may be. At least it eased him a bit.

'Felt like my spark jolted, or... or just... I don't know, but...' He glanced around at his friends, eyes wide, 'I haven't felt anything like this since her mother was killed.'

Lenny gasped. Tigor stiffened, both in response to his bondmates silent horror and his own misgivings on the matter. When Ashley's mother had been murdered, she had been almost overwhelmed with guilt and self-loathing at her own inability to keep her safe. It was a jarring moment that had shocked her systems into receding into the far reaches of her consciousness. All three had spent time by her motionless body, hoping and praying she would wake from her comatose state. It had been suffocating for the girl, and had almost taken her life.

What could have been so bad that it was enacting a potential mental shutdown?

Lenny's watch beeped with another message, this one more urgent. But she didn't even hear it, she was so shocked by Darkscream's words.

'S-she hasn't-'

'No, no, she's still here. She hasn't gone,' Darkscream was quick to assure, both her and himself, 'She's calming down somewhat, at least.'

Bing. Bing! Bing bing bing bing-

Lenny growled in annoyance, turning inward to accept the irritating call. A quick glance at her watch showed Ratap's ID. There were a number of urgant tags attached to it.

 **'What the hell is it, Rat?'** She demanded, her unease transmitting as anger. The kid hesitated before answering.

 _ **'You know how we're meant to be researching monsters, right? I think I might be onto something,'**_ He muttered slowly, **'You know how I've been struggling with some of my codes and equations lately?'**

 **'Yeah. You've only been complaining about it every hour for the last two weeks,'** Lenny answered, then frowned, **'Coding and monster biology don't really relate.' ** Ratap seemed to take a deep breath in preparation.

 **'I was working on the codes in between experiments, and I stepped out to get some food. You know how sis yells at us when we don't take care of ourselves while working,'** He rambled quickly, then gulped, **'When I came back, Data was looking at the codes...'**

 **'...THAT'S why you've been calling?!'** Lenny demanded. She jolted when Darkscream yelled loudly, grabbing the TV and hurtling it across the room. Lenny and Tigor jumped out of the way, then stared at him in bewilderment. He looked just as shocked by the sudden action. Where had THAT come from?

 **'No, y-you don't understand!'** Ratap stuttered quickly, **'The codes... They were completed. I put them through the systems, and they _worked_!'**

Lenny stalled for a moment as she got her mind around that information. Ratap's codes were long and complicated chicken squall to her. She was much more familiar and adapt with engines and physically building stuff than the intricate details of code work and computers.

 **'Your... monster was...** how the fuck?!' She demanded aloud, drawing the boys' attention for a moment before Tigor wrapped his arms around his friend, both to offer comfort and keep him from breaking anything else.

 **'Yeah, about that,'** A third voice interupted, **'Could you two join my private group chat, please?'**

Lenny glanced over at the boys, who had also looked up at Ashley's summoning. They quickly tuned into the frequency, noting that Jason and Ian had been invited to the discussion as well.

 **'What's up?'** Ian asked casually. But, despite his laid back tone, they could still hear his cautious unease. They all knew what Ashley's evening activity had entailed, and they could only assume she was contacting them regarding what had been seen.

Though, they had to wonder why she was using such an encrypted frequency. Lenny hadn't seen that much precautions since before the peace. And why was it only reserved for them? Why was she not discussing it with their other planetside teammates?

 **'Is this everyone with a monster?'** Ashley asked.

 **'Well, Roxy has one, but she's gone to the motherworld HQ with Max and the others.'** Darkscream supplied, gently petting Miracles head to calm her down. She petted the finger away, the soft touch making him smile.

 **'Right, we've got a big problem,'** Ashley stated bluntly, **'Monsters are self-aware.'**

Every one of them froze in what they were doing. Lenny grew rigid as she glanced down at Hrist, who was still in her cupped hand. Darkscream jerked his hand away from Miracle as if he'd been bitten. Ratap shook his head in distress, stealing a guilty glance at the room he'd left Data in. Ian paused in cooking for his customers, turning to look at the fire monster who slept peacefully on an empty shelf not too far away.

Oh boy. It was one thing to suspect, but to have their suspicions conformed near broke their sparks.

 **'This complicates things.'** Ian muttered.

 **'I KNEW they were up to something!'** Tigor declared loudly, almost smugly, **'And you lot called me _paranoid_!'**

 **'You _are_ paranoid, bastard.'** Jason sassed quietly, but his usual snark towards his professor was lackluster.

 **'Kay, we need to sort this out,'** Ashley continued, sounding more tired than they had heard her in a long time, **'I want everyone in the bunker as soon as possible. And bring your monsters with you.'**


	30. Confessions

**Authors Note**

 **Man, it's good to be doing this again. And, real quick, thanks for the support guys. It's helped a lot.**

 **And, we found my cat! Two days after I'd adopted another... figures, huh? *rolls eyes* Oh well, she's home, that's all that matters. And I got TWO KITTY'S! :D 3**

 **Hope this chapter is okay.**

 **...**

'Why did you sit around doing nothing?'

'We had no reason to suspect the Bolts were-'

'Oh, cause they are _so_ reliable, aren't they, punk?'

Jason sighed heavily, rubbing his temple. Ashley and Undyne had been arguing for nearly ten minutes now, and every heated insult from the monster was raising the other Originals' anger levels. Even Ashley, with years of experience with this kind of abuse, was beginning to lose her composure.

Undyne remained oblivious to the raising tension, but Toriel did not. She was trying to hush the agitated monster, although she was having little luck getting through to her. She may have been the queen, but even she couldn't settle the flood-works that was Undyne's bottled up ire.

'My child, please, calm down.'

'NO! Why are you not angry about this?'

'Please,' Ashley said, sighing tersely, 'we are trying to-'

'SHUT UP!'

Being so bold to Ashley, especially in front of her close circle, was not a smart move. The other shifters began moving closer, eyes dangerously red, no matter how hard they tried to quell it. They would not stand for someone speaking to their closest friend like that. The other monsters -Sans, Alphys and Grillby - huddled closer as they felt the tension grow heavier. If they kept fighting, they might just make the whole situation worse. If they couldn't defuse the situation, and soon-

 _Knock knock._

The monstets froze, silenced by the sound. The shifters wearily turned to the door, hands on the weapons they constantly hid on their persons. After the recent revelation, all of them were nervous of this unexpected arrival.

All, of course, except Jason.

With a relieved sigh, Jason bounded to his feet. Ashley frowned at him questioningly, but didn't try to stop him. She just watched carefully as she replaced her gun, the others hesitantly following suit.

Jason opened the door to a confused young Comrade. He glanced around at his professors, then at his brother. A familiar skeleton was sitting contentedly on his shoulder, looking just as confused, but much more chipper.

'Hey Jay.' Comrade greeted somewhat nervously. Even with his brother being so close to the Originals, it wasn't often he was invited into their private quarter's. Much less when they were so obviously tense.

'Hey bro,' Jason said, crouching down so he was more level with the monster, 'And you must be Papyrus, right?'

The monster blinked in astonishment, then began grinning madly. He jumped to his feet, waving excitedly. He was pleased to have been recognized - although, he realized, how could he not be? He was very great, after all.

'hey bro!' Sans called. Papyrus' eyes widened, and he stared at his brother. Who was TALKING! When did _that_ happen?

After a moment of slack jawed inability, Comrade numbly stepped over to the other monsters and held out his arm. Papyrus leapt down that arm to get to the others, hands moving at lightning speed as he asked his questions. Jason halted his bounding when he placed down a hand, the other quickly tapping at the back of his collar. It short-circuited, and after a moment of hesitation, he began speaking. Quietly at first, as if testing out his renewed voice, then shouting his questions with his usual enthusiasm.

It was not lost on everyone in the room how Undyne had suddenly settled by the presence of the tall skeleton alone.

'Right. We need to start figuring this out.' Tigor said, trying to steer the conversation back on track.

'Let's go kick their butts!' Undyne suggested loudly.

'No,' Ashley said bluntly, 'Any attack on the Verten's will result in war, and any monsters in Verten captivity will be in grave danger.'

'So, what do we do?' Lenny asked, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, 'If we attack, monsters are in danger. As long as we sit around like this, monsters are in the hands of Bolts. Neither situation is good!'

'There is always a way.' Tigor said.

 _Beep-beep._

The Originals blinked, glancing down at their watches. Alarms were beeping merrily. They groaned in unison.

'Classes start in ten.' Darkscream said.

'Can't exactly skip on those,' Tigor noted dejectedly, 'That would be a huge red flag on the Bolts' end.'

'But we need to figure this out.' Undyne said. Ashley sighed, rubbing her temple.

'At the moment the Verten's are unaware of our current knowledge. We need to keep pretending that we don't know of your sentience. So for now, the collars will stay on,' She said, then turned to the others of her team, 'The rest of you should continue with your usual daily routine. We can't let the Bolts think anythings amiss.'

'Are we really gonna be letting any of them outside the bunker,' Jason asked with a nod to the monsters, 'I mean, they'd be in too much danger then. But if we leave them here-'

'It's not too strange for people to have pet-sitters, right?' Ashley asked with a pointed look at her old student.

'W-wait, your not gonna-' Jason cut himself off as they began moving towards the exit, quickly rushing over to Ashley, 'Ash, you can't leave me here alone!'

'You won't be alone,' She said, placing a hand on his shoulder, 'We need someone to keep an eye on 'em. You're the only one I trust who isn't as closely monitored by Jetstone's goons.'

'But-'

'Jason, you'll be okay,' She reaffirmed, patting his shoulder, 'Just stay calm and you'll be great.' With that she left the bunker. The locks clicked closed, and the two brothers were sealed safely inside with the small group of monsters.

Jason took a deep breath as he slowly turned to the monsters. They were just as silent, staring right back t him. Comrade was biting his lip, glancing between his brother and the monsters. He was still trying to process the new development.

 _Well,_ this _is fuckin' awkward!_

 _Shut up_ , Jason quickly berated. He didn't need that. He was already nervious. How would the monsters react now?

Toriel was the one to take initiative. She cleared her throat and stepped forward, every bit as regal as a queen would be.

'Hello, my child. I am Toriel. It is nice to meet you.'

Jason smiled with relief at her friendly introduction. Of course, he already knew all their names due to seeing Sans' memories. But it was nice of her to break the tension.

'It's nice to actually meet you all.' Jason said, holding out a finger in a makeshift handshake. _Stars, this is weird_ , he thought. The soft little paw barely covered his fingertip, and he imagined how this would have been had she never been shrunk. In reality, that paw should have been twice the size of his own.

The others soon introduced themselves, each with their own levels of enthusiasm. Comrade quickly overcame his initial nervousness, now eager to make new friends. Jason shook his head, happy to let his brother take the social reigns. He was smiling, already bringing everyone together to help him prepare some food in the kitchenette.

The monsters were even happy to climb into his hands to get there, which made Jason frown. They had gotten so used to handling that they didn't even think twice about climbing into a shifters hand. Jason sighed heavily, banging his head against the wall with a quiet _thump_. They should never have had to get used to such things.

He was getting agitated again. Groaning, he stood up and began walking towards a black door at the back of the bunker. Comrade and the monsters were voting on what to make. It was a tie between a pie or spaghetti. Jason smiled slightly at the sight, glad to see that Sans had calmed down with his brother right next to him.

As the tall skeleton calmed Undyne down and came to a nice compromise - making _both_ "cutlery masterpieces" - Jason had to agree with Sans. Papyrus really _was_ the coolest.

Comrade glanced over at his brother as the monsters talked. Jason silently nodded towards the dark door, not wishing to bother the lot as they began to genuinely relax. Comrade nodded, turning back to the monsters as Jason turned to the door.

Neither noticed how Sans curiously watched Jason go.

* * *

Jason stepped into the little room, with padded walls of white. The ground bounced slightly under him, and the lights were tinted with the slightest blue shade. He sighed, noting the stuffy air with distaste. The room hadn't been used in some time.

Bout time it was used.

'Activate "Jason's Happy Place".' He said aloud as he sat himself down, and the room began to change.

It was very much like the Simulator, with much of the same mechanics in the design. But instead of providing a training environment, it provided a tranquil area for a shifter to find some peace. The environment changed to their ideal place, with audio to promote a sense of calm. There were even vents that distilled certain smells to complete the effect, completely submerging the individual in the experience. You could forget it was a simulation, sometimes.

Jason sighed, breathing in the musky, earthy scents. A cool breeze ruffled his hair, accompanied with the rustling of leaves above. The light darkened, with only a silver blue light coming from the counterfeit moon above. He glanced around at the stone pillars that stood around him, with faint writings still scribbled on them. Behind him stood a tall, dark stone structure with stairs that led down to a dark gate, which was locked tight. Before him stood an ancient tree, much larger than any he'd ever found on his adopted world. Many of the branches were bare, and the chilly wind promised the coming of winter. A number of ropes hung from the lowest branches of the tree.

Jason sighed, his nerve beginning to unwind in the familiar environment.

'bit morbid for a "happy place", don'cha think?'

Jason yelped, jumping back. So much for relaxing. Sans flinched back from his quick movements, but his forever smile quickly hid it.

'oh come on, I didn't really get _under your skin_ so easily, did I?'

Jason sighed, shaking his head as he tried to hide his amusement at the pun. Why was he here?

'Depends who you ask.' He answered, drawing his legs close. He stayed silent, pointedly ignoring the skeleton. Maybe he would go away.

Sans didn't get the hint, instead strolling closer with has hands stuffed deep in his pockets. He glanced at the dark ruins around him, not quite able to hide his unease at the sight.

'… Ya know… dun know why, but out of everyone, I thought _you_ would have been more calm here.' Jason said. Sans chucked nervously.

'Hard to stay calm in a place where humans would shove a bag'o'bones like me in a hole.' He said.

'Heh. Okay, point taken.' Jason relented, resting his chin on his knees.

The two sat in silence for a time, one at ease in the gloomy area, the other getting increasingly agitated.

'so, why is your happy place a cemetery?' Sans finally asked, looking at Jason curiously, 'i thought humans got spooked in places like this.'

Jason didn't answer right away, instead looking over at the base of the tree. There was the slightest movement there, and Jason smiled.

'People are afraid of the unknown. It is in our nature. But everyone perceives the world differently. What is terrifying to one, may be calming to another,' Jason said, sitting up slightly, 'Besides… why would I be scared of my childhood home?'

The movement intensified, and tiny, ugly little vines reared their heads around the trunk. Sans flinched, backing away into Jason's leg as they seemed to be drawn towards them, but their roots held them in place. A slightly grey residue hung off the swollen buds, and wherever it fell, the grass shriveled and withered.

'what _are_ those things?' Sans demanded.

'Night Souls. Though the village always called them Twisted Souls. Some rumor that they're the manifestation of the evil souls who are hung here,' Jason said, then snorted, 'They were a naive lot. Believed what suited them, nothing more.'

'so… its a flower?' Sans asked, moving closer to see it better, 'whats it for?'

'Its a tradition for every Cryptkeeper, upon their death, to have one planted at the base of their hanging tree,' Jason said, indicating to the two closest, 'One is my grandfathers, and the other is mine.'

'but your not dead.'

'I am to my people.'

Soft voices could be heard coming from the crypt at their backs. Sans looked back curiously, wondering about the soft singing. Jason was smiling, the voices bringing back bittersweet memories of time spent apprenticed to his grandfather.

'you look like you miss it.' Sans commented.

'More than you can ever imagine.'

'why not go back?'

'No. I can't ever go back,' Jason said, resting his chin back on his knees, 'After what I did, I'd never be welcomed, anyway.'

Sans hummed, glancing up at the shifter. His eyes had gotten glassy, staring off at something only he could see.

'do you… wanna talk bout it?'

Jason looked down at the skeleton. He sighed, his hand reaching up to cup the opal locket in hand.

'I love photos, you know that? Its one of the things I love about this planet. Mine doesn't have that. Medieval age, I've been told it's set in. I can't remember my family anymore. I can barely remember my mothers smile.'

'…where are you going with this?'

'Telepaths are capable of… I guess "unlocking" the faded memories of our human lives. Comrade is always asking if I would do it, that way he would be able to see what our parents looked like,' Jason said, blinking hard to banish the tears that threatened to fall 'But I can't. If I did that, I'd have to relive the night they died. I've spent a long time trying to repress that.'

'I know how you feel. watching those you love die is horrible.' Sans muttered, knowing full well how damaging to the SOUL that could be. It was the whole reason Sans only had the one hit point. Years worth of false memories had gradually whittled it away. His laziness only meant that he never worked towards raising it higher than the number it dwindled down to. If he'd had Paps drive, he may have been able to make the number higher. But after all the resets, Sans just stopped bothering.

Jason snorted, rolling his eyes at Sans' words. Sans frowned at that.

'You don't know a damn thing!' Jason snapped, eyes flashing red for just a moment before he was able to control himself, 'The only thing you would understand is the lack of sleep.'

'…you're an insomniac?' Sans asked. Jason glanced over, looking confused.

'You didn't know?'

'shifters have wierd sleeping patters. I didn't really get a chance to learn.'

'Hmm. Guess so. We just sleep depending on our output. Normally, we only need an hour a day to compensate for our everyday expenditures. But with my usual days; training twelve hours a day, out hunting convicts for my income, my multiple abilities... the boys… I should be having a minimum of six hours a day.'

'…but you barely sleep for one.'

'Exactly.'

Sans examined the boy, thinking back to that day when Jason had revealed his spark. It was a strange shape, but a SOUL nonetheless. They all shared traits, like the hue and conditions. They also exposed how troubled an individual was. He would have thought that vibrant SOUL would have been too pure and put together for Jason to be troubled enough for insomnia.

'Your SOUL seemed so fine…' he said quietly. Jason laughed at that, shaking his head.

'I would have thought someone who could read SOULS like you would have seen through a filter.'

'A what?'

'It's exactly what it sounds like. A filter that hides all of the flaws and blemishes… just for the SOUL instead of the face,' he said, then looked down at Sans, eyes laced with sorrowful blue 'our SOULS are more alike than you realize.'

Sans blinked in alarm. That… didn't seem right. It took a huge, horrendous act just to be able to permanently damage a SOUL. Reliving a genocide so many times had left Sans near dusting. What could have gotten Jason to that level? Sans had read his stats! Jason had HP in the thousands! How could a SOUL - one that is as tortured as he claimed - be capable of raising to such numbers? Papyrus hadn't been able to get such stats. Not even Chara could get that much through a full genocide.

The only ways one could damage the SOUL to that extent was through active self hatred, or self harm.

'...what happened to you?'

'… I killed my family.'

'Of course, it wasn't entirely my fault. Vertens made everyone swear themselves to their commander, and in return, no Verten would harm our families,' Jason said, his hand fisting in self anger, 'We didn't know how binding a Deal was. None of us could fight it.'

'they ordered you to kill them,' Sans realized with horror, 'they tricked you!'

'I tried killing myself that night. First I watched my grandfather get ripped apart, then forced to slowly murder my entire family… I couldn't handle it anymore.'

'but… if you killed everyone…. why is Comrade-'

'My mother had been pregnant. She had gotten the family together to break the news. If I had have known, trust me, I would have killed him, too,' Jason confessed, then smiled, 'He doesn't realize it, but he saved my life. When Ash showed him to me - this tiny, premature little thing - fighting to stay alive… I swore I'd keep him safe.' He then snorted again, looking sad. 'Couldn't even do that right.'

Sans fidgeted, staring up at the shifter he'd gotten attached to. He did not like this. Jason had that look in his eyes again, the one when he was silently berating himself. Sans didn't even have to CHECK to see how his SOUL pulsed and ached. He had to get Jason's mind off these memories before they did anymore damage.

'uh... so, what's with the singing?' He asked, not sure where else he could deviate to. The soft singing had not stopped, and it was the only other thing he could think of to distract the shifter.

Jason blinked, looking over his shoulder to the crypt. Absently, he began to tap at the opal locket that hung around his neck. He bit his lip, then looked over at Sans. The monster cocked his head. At the mention of the singing, Jason had suddenly gotten incredibly shy and hesitant. _strange..._

'Do... do you promise not to tell anyone else about it?' He asked, then shrugged apologetically, 'It's... really personal.'

'of course.' Sans promised.

Jason watched Sans for a long moment, searching for any hint of deception. But Sans just smiled encouragingly, waiting patiently for the shifter to continue. Jason sighed, then began to turn the small dial on the back. Soft, familiar music began to hum from the mechanism inside. Then he began to sing.

 _'Child, oh dear child,_

 _Beneath the Hanging Tree,_

 _Where Night Souls thrive,_

 _To guard over thee._

 _Rest, now, my little one,_

 _Dream on til morning be._

 _Sleep now, Hangman's child,_

 _Beneath the Hanging Tree._

 _._

 _Child, oh dear child,_

 _Beneath the Hanging Tree._

 _Rest your weary head,_

 _You're safe where you now be._

 _Mother Moon will watch o'r you,_

 _Til the sun doth rise._

 _Til then, rest your head,_

 _Under her watchful eyes._

 _._

 _Child, oh dear child,_

 _Beneath the Hanging Tree._

 _Sleep the night away,_

 _In dreams, your troubles flee._

 _Rest your heart to to face the day,_

 _Renewed, I foresee._

 _Have faith, Hangman's child,_

 _Beneath the Hanging Tree._

 _._

 _Child, oh dear child,_

 _Beneath the Hanging Tree._

 _Rest your weary head,_

 _You're safe where you now be._

 _Mother Moon will watch o'r you,_

 _Til the sun doth rise._

 _Til then, rest your head,_

 _Under her watchful eyes._

 _Til then, rest your head,_

 _Under her watchful eyes.'_

Jason shifted as his voice trailed off with the final note of music. Suddenly he felt foolish for sharing the song. He cleared his throat, wrapping his arms around his knees and staring into the fabric.

'I've only ever shared that with Comrade and... and Robyn,' He confessed hesitantly, 'It's my family's lullaby.'

 _a family song_ , Sans thought. He smiled, feeling touched that the shifter had felt comfortable enough around him to share it. He knew how closed off Jason could be, and the mere act of sharing was a huge step for him. Especially with something so obviously important to him.

'heh. no problem,' He said, 'maybe we should head back? see if the food is ready?' Jason smiled, placing his hand down in front of the skeleton. Sans hopped on easily, and the two of them exited the room.

It seemed like the spaghetti had been finished for some time. The monsters all had small saucers filled with the food at the table, although they seemed to have eaten their fill. Comrade wasn't sitting at the table, though. He was at the oven, arms crossed and back to them.

'What, didn't come to get us?' Jason joked, letting Sans off at the table. Comrade didn't react other than bending down to open the oven and check on the pie. Jason frowned.

'Comrade?' He said cautiously, stepping around the table, 'You okay?'

 **SLAM!**

Jason tensed as his younger brother slammed the oven door closed. His head turned slightly. Not once had Sans ever seen this boys eyes change to that rage induced red.

'So, _Jason_ ,' He spat Jason's name out as if it were the most abhorrent swear, and he slowly stood up, 'When were you going to tell me what you did to our parents?'

 **...**

 **If Jason's song sound familiar... I based it off of The Hanging Tree from Hunger Games. I am not good at making songs, so I use preexisting tunes to help me keep it in sync without it seeming too bland.**


End file.
